-PGn 


NORMAL     SCHOOL 
QUARTERLY 

Series  18  July,  1920  Number  76 


PART  I 

THE  SMALL  RURAL  COMMUNITY:    ITS  LIFE 
AND  EDUCATION 

PART  II 

THE  RURAL  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT    OF  THE 
ILLINOIS  STATE  NORMAL  UNIVERSITY 


BY 


H.  A.  BONE 

Rural  Education  Department 


Entered  August   18,   1902,  at  Normal,  Illinois,  as  second-class  matter  under 
Act  of  Congress  of  July  16,  1894 

N.  B. — Any  teacher  in  Illinois  may  get  The  Normal  School  Quarterly  regularly 

by  sending  name  and  address,  and  by  giving  prompt  notis  of  any  change  of  address. 

When  a  word  has  two  authorized  forms  of  spelling,  the  shorter  form  is  used. 

[Printed  by  the  authority  of  the  State  of  Illinois] 


it 


THE     NORMAL     SCHOOL 
QUARTERLY 

Series  18  July,  1920  Number  76 


PART  I 

THE  SMALL  RURAL  COMMUNITY:    ITS  LIFE 
AND  EDUCATION 

PART  II 

THE  RURAL  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT    OF  THE 
ILLINOIS  STATE  NORMAL  UNIVERSITY 


BY 


H.  A.  BONE 

Rural  Education  Department 


Entered  August  18,  1902,  at  Normal,  Illinois,  as  second-class  matter  under 
Act  of  Congress  of  July  16,  1894 

N.  B. — Any  teacher  in  Illinois  may  get  The  Normal  School  Quarterly  regularly 

by  sending  name  and  address,  and  by  giving  prompt  notis  of  any  change  of  address. 

When  a  word  has  two  authorized  forms  of  spelling,  the  shorter  form  is  used. 

[Printed  by  the  authority  of  the  State  of  Illinois] 


FOREWORD 

"It  seems  clear  that  it  wil  be  many  years  before  normal  schools,  if 
ever,  wil  address  themselvs  to  the  problem  of  preparing  teachers  for 
the  rural  schools." 

The  above  quotation  is  taken  from  the  report  of  a  committee  on 
rural  education  of  the  National  Education  Association  in  1912.  Fortu- 
nately this  was  not  an  accurate  forecast.  Information  filed  with  the 
Bureau  of  Education  in  1918  showed  that  77  normal  schools  had  special 
departments  of  rural  education,  and  that  63  others  offerd  special  courses 
designd  to  be  of  special  help  to  country-school  teachers. 

However,  country  schools  ar  rapidly  becoming  centralized  thru  the 
organization  of  larger  districts  which  usually  include  the  rural  village 
and  country  town.  This  new  type  of  school  demands  a  specially  traind 
teacher  quite  as  much  as  the  one-room  country  school.  There  is  a 
growing  sentiment  that  the  rural  village  and  the  country  town  ar  rural 
and  should  hav  a  rural  type  of  school.  To  meet  this  changing  educa- 
tional reorganization  and  this  changing  sentiment,  the  normal  schools 
ar  enlarging  their  rural  education  departments. 

Part  I  of  this  bulletin  seeks  to  outline  this  new  conception  of  the 
rural  community  as  it  is  taking  form  in  social  and  educational  recon- 
struction, and  to  discus  some  of  the  educational  needs  of  this  type  of 
community.  There  is  evidence  that  the  area  included  in  some  of  the 
consolidated,  or  centralized,  school  districts  does  not  constitute  a  com- 
munity. In  order  that  rural  social  and  educational  re-organization  may 
be  efficient  and  permanent,  the  physical  and  psychical  community  cen- 
ters and  boundaries  must  be  determind.  Moreover,  a  clear  concept  of 
what  constitutes  a  community  must  be  perfected.  Illustrations  of  a  few 
typical  communities  are  shown  at  the  close  of  Part  I. 

Part  II  is  a  description  of  the  opportunities  offerd  by  the  Illinois 
State  Normal  University  for  the  training  of  teachers  and  supervisors 
for  work  in  one-room  country  schools  and  in  the  rural  village  and 
country  town  which  ar  rightly  coming  to  be  considerd  rural  rather  than 
urban,  and  which  ar  rapidly  becoming  the  educational  centers  of  the 
entire  rural  community. 


springfield,  ill. 

Illinois  State  Journal  Co.,  State  Printers. 

19  2  0 

35328—3500 


Normal    School    Quarterly 


Publisht  by  the  Illinois  State  Normal  University,  Normal,  Illinois 
Series  18  JULY,  1920  No.  76 

Part  I 

THE  SMALL  RURAL  COMMUNITY:     ITS  LIFE  AND 

EDUCATION 

THE  AMERICAN   PRINCIPLE 

We  in  America  profess  to  hav  accepted  the  principle  of  democracy. 
We  committed  ourselvs  to  that  principle  in  our  Delcaration  of  Inde- 
pendence. When  our  constitutional  fathers  met  to  draw  up  the  outlines 
of  our  government  at  Philadelphia  in  the  spring  of  1787  they  embodied 
this  thought  in  the  preamble  to  the  constitution.  We  ar  emerging  from 
a  great  war  during  which  we  reiterated  to  the  world  that  our  reason 
for  participating  in  that  great  struggle  was  to  do  our  part  in  establish- 
ing this  principle  thruout  the  world  for  the  benefit  of  men  of  every  race, 
clime,  and  religion. 

EQUALITY   OF  SOCIAL  ADVANTAGES 

The  true  democrat  believs  that  while  aristocracy  of  welth,  power, 
position,  birth,  education,  culture,  or  social  advantage  may  be  gratifying 
to  the  few,  it  does  not  bring  the  largest  mesure  of  satisfaction  to  the 
many.  He  believs  that  in  the  main  all  raees  of  men  hav  the  capacity 
for  development  and  enjoyment,  and  the  right  to  those  things  which 
bring  development  and  satisfaction.  Furthermore,  he  believs  that  the 
fullest  mesure  of  enjoyment  does  not  come  to  men  who  do  not  associate 
upon  a  basis  of  equality.  He  believs  that,  while  all  men  may  not  hav 
been  created  equal  it  is  possible  to  bring  about  a  state  of  society  in 
which  there  wil  be  provided  an  equality  of  access  to  advantages.  He 
believs  that  while  man  may  only  partially  control  innate  mental  endow- 
ments or  bodily  physical  power,  he  can  control  social  institutions  in 
such  a  way  as  to  democratize  social  advantages. 

Believing  this,  he  holds  that  no  matter  to  what  race  a  man  belongs, 
no  matter  what  legitimate  occupation  he  may  follow,  and  no  matter 
in  what  community  he  may  liv,  whether  it  be  one  rich  in  material 
resources  or  one  with  few  material  advantages,  this  man  has  a  right 
to  those  things  which  answer  to  the  fundamental  cravings  of  human 
nature  at  its  best. 


4  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

It  is  sometimes  objected  that  because  inequalities  of  advantages 
hav  always  existed  they  always  wil,  and  that  while  the  ideal  of  equality 
of  opportunity  is  fine,  as  something  to  contemplate,  yet  it  is  imprac- 
ticable and  unattainable,  hence  visionary.  This  the  true  democrat  does 
not  concede.  He  holds  that  anything  which  is  fundamentally  right  and 
just  is  attainable.  He  points  out  that  not  many  years  ago  slavery  was 
considerd  inevitable  because  some  races  had  always  been  regarded  in- 
ferior and  held  in  slavery;  human  nature  being  what  it  is,  some  men 
would  always  be  slaves. 

But  slavery  has  disappeard  from  the  states  and  from  all  civilized 
countries.  That  same  argument  has  been  brought  forward  as  an  objec- 
tion to  every  advance  which  has  ever  been  made,  but  the  forward  move- 
ment goes  on,  and  the  objectors  ar  forgotten,  or  ar  rememberd  with  a 
kind  of  charitable  contempt  for  their  narrowness  of  vision.  The  theme 
of  the  history  of  the  race  may  be  said  to  be  man's  struggle  so  to  shape 
his  institutions  as  to  equalize  advantages.  In  this  respect  the  race  is 
yet  young  in  progress  made,  but  it  is  advancing  and  fortunately  we 
always  hav  seers  and  prophets  who  hav  ideals  and  visions  and  who  ar 
not  deterrd  from  seeking  to  realize  them  by  the  old  argument  that  cer- 
tain inequalities  and  injustices  must  persist  simply  because  they  always 
hav  existed. 

THE  SMALL  RURAL   COMMUNITY   DISADVANTAGED 

During  the  last  thirty  years  a  movement  of  population  in  this 
country  seems  to  indicate  that  life  offers  more  satisfaction  in  cities  than 
in  small  communities.  This  was  first  noted  to  a  markt  degree  in  the 
census  of  1900.  The  same  tendency  was  shown  by  the  census  of  1910 
when  the  report  showd  that  while  cities  had  increast  in  population  34.8 
per  cent,  the  country  towns,  rural  villages,  and  open  country  had  in- 
creast only  11.2  per  cent.  The  figures  of  the  census  of  1920  ar  not  yet 
tabulated,  but  local  censuses  seem  to  indicate  that  the  tide  is  stil  running 
to  the  cities. 

During  the  first  decade  of  this  century,  President  Roosevelt's  com- 
mission, appointed  to  investigate  the  cause  for  this  movement,  reported 
that  the  members  of  the  small  community  gave  five  reasons:  (1)  poor 
economic  conditions;  (2)  lack  of  communication;  (3)  lack  of  social 
attractivness ;  (4)  helth  consideration;  and  (5)  poor  educational  facili- 
ties. If  the  principle  of  democracy  is  to  be  accepted,  we  can  not  con- 
sistently permit  such  an  inequality  to  continue. 


A  Pioneer  Type  of  One-Room  School 


A  "Superior"  One-Room  School 


The  Small  Rural  Community :  Its  Life  and  Education  5 

THE   LARGE   NUMBER  AFFECTED 

And  this  inequality  affects  more  than  a  small  number  of  our  people. 
The  census  of  1910  classifies  as  "rural"  all  communities  of  less  than 
2,500  people.  There  ar  12,000  of  these  small  rural  communities  in 
the  United  States.  These  12,000  small  communities  hav  10,000,000 
people  living  in  country  towns  and  rural  villages,  and  44,000,000  people 
in  the  open  country.  This  does  not  include  the  small  town  with  a 
higher  educational  institution,  the  small  suburb  of  a  city,  the  factory- 
ownd  village,  or  mining  or  lumber  camp.  We  hav  about  54,000,000 
people  who  liv  in  small  rural  communities  whose  main  vocational  con- 
cern is  agriculture  or  closely  associated  with  agriculture  and  whose 
manner  of  living  is  modified  by  this  main  concern.  That  is,  that  num- 
ber of  communities  and  that  many  people  ar  conceded  to  be  disad- 
vantaged in  five  respects  when  compared  with  the  2,500  cities  with 
their  population  somewhat  less  in  number. 

IMPORTANCE  OF   STRONG   RURAL   STOCK 

Should  we  set  aside  as  visionary  the  belief  that  the  people  of  the 
small  community  hav  a  right  to  the  same  mesure  of  satisfaction  as 
those  of  the  city,  there  is  yet  another  reason  for  maintaining  an  equality 
of  opportunity.  Should  we  assume  that  the  boys  and  girls  of  the 
small  community  ar  not  in  justis  entitled  to  the  same  opportunities  for 
development  and  recreation  and  education,  and  helth  as  their  cousins 
in  the  city,  there  is  yet  another  reason  why  our  future  prosperity,  and 
further  yet,  our  very  existence  depends  upon  maintaining  a  strong, 
sturdy,  and  increasingly  intelligent  stock  in  the  small  rural  community. 

They  ar  the  people  who  ar  producing  the  cereals,  vegetables,  and 
fruits,  and  meats  for  our  tables.  They  ar  producing  the  cotton,  and 
wool,  and  flax,  and  hides,  for  our  clothing.  This  country  knows  too 
wel  the  inconvenience  and  the  hardships  incident  to  the  shutting  down 
of  some  of  our  industries  in  the  cities.  Workers  in  some  of  these  in- 
dustries at  times  rather  loudly  maintain  that  the  world  could  not  get 
along  without  them,  and  ar  sometimes  disposed  to  use  this  power  to 
their  own  advantage.  Should  the  44,000,000  people  living  in  the  open 
country  however  decide  to  limit  their  production  to  the  needs  of  them- 
selvs  and  their  village  neighbors,  and  to  let  none  of  their  products  leave 
the  small  community,  one  year  would  suffice  to  show  that  the  people 
who  ar  really  essential  ar  the  rural  people.  It  is  convenient  to  hav 
coal  to  burn,  and  steel  for  construction,  and  railroads  for  transportation, 
but  life  has  been  maintaind  and  even  some  of  the  creature  comforts 
secured  without  any  of  them.     The  rural  community  may  get  along 


6  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

without  many  of  the  fabricated  articles  of  the  city,  but  the  city  can  not 
get  along  without  the  products  of  the  small  community. 

But  to  pass  from  an  unlikely  to  a  possible  situation,  our  population 
will  go  on  increasing,  hence  the  demand  for  more  food  and  clothing. 
So  far  as  we  know,  our  acreage  of  land  wil  not  materially  increas.  Its 
average  productivity,  so  far  as  strength  of  soil  is  concernd,  is  not  now 
what  it  was  fifty  years  ago.  It  is  reasonable  to  infer  that  it  wil  require 
more  intelligence  to  produce  an  ever-increasing  amount  from  the  same 
acreage  of  somewhat  depleted  soil  than  it  ever  has  before. 

Self-preservation  alone  makes  it  necessary  that  a  sufficient  number 
continue  to  engage  in  tilling  the  soil  and  to  liv  in  the  related  rural 
village  and  country  town  to  keep  up  the  production  of  fundamental 
necessities.  It  is  necessary  that  those  so  engaged  maintain  a  physical 
vigor  and  an  increasing  intelligence  to  meet  the  growing  needs  of  a 
population  becoming  ever  larger.  Economic  need  alone  would  make  it 
good  business  to  offer  whatever  attractions  ar  necessary  to  preserv  the 
balance  between  city  and  rural  community  population. 

NO  VALID  REASON   FOR  DISADVANTAGES   OF   SMALL   COMMUNITY 

There  is  no  reason  inherent  in  the  small  community,  as  a  com- 
munity, for  its  having  these  five  disadvantages.  In  fact,  there  is  con- 
siderable evidence  that  the  small  community  is  a  more  normal  group 
in  size  than  the  city.  There  is  evidence  that  the  small  community  may 
equal  the  city  in  everyone  of  the  items  pointed  out  by  the  Commission, 
but  the  same  thought  has  not  been  given  to  the  improvement  of  the 
small  community  as  to  the  city. 

CAUSES   OF   IMPROVEMENT  OF   CITIES 

The  phenomenal  growth  of  ou\  cities  has  raised  many  difficult 
problems,  renderd  more  difficult  because  of  our  inexperience  with  cities. 
Methods  of  municipal  government  had  to  be  evolvd.  School  systems 
adapted  to  city  children  had  to  be  pland.  Problems  of  poverty,  unem- 
plyoment,  vice,  sanitation,  amusement,  parks,  playgrounds,  swet-shops, 
child  labor,  crowded  tenements,  and  foren  peoples  prest  for  solution. 
These  wer  so  apparent  and  so  insistent  that  the  serious  thought  and 
attention  of  the  best  thinkers  of  the  country  wer  directed  toward  their 
solution. 

A  commendable  degree  of  progress  has  been  made.  Parks,  play- 
grounds, and  recreation  centers  hav  been  establisht.  Advance  has  been 
made  in  the  administration  of  city  government.  City  school  systems 
ar  better  meeting  the  needs  of  city  children.     The  s wet-shop  is  not  so 


The  Small  Rural  Community:  Its  Life  and  Education  7 

common.  Better  housing  prevails.  Sanitary  provisions  hav  been  made. 
Public  libraries  hav  been  bilt.  More  attention  is  given  our  foren  popu- 
lation. Living  conditions  in  general  hav  been  improved.  Much  yet 
remains  to  be  done,  but  the  most  difficult  steps  hav  been  taken,  and 
progress  wil  doubtless  be  more  rapid  in  the  future.  Community  coun- 
cils and  city  planning  commissions  ar  mobilizing  the  resources  and 
co-ordinating  the  efforts  of  the  city  for  present  needs  and  future  wel- 
fare. 

The  secret  of  the  advance  of  the  city  lies  in  collectiv  action.  The 
problems  of  the  city  wer  apparent  and  insistent.  It  was  found  that  an 
individual  here  and  there,  working  without  co-operation,  could  not  make 
the  desired  progress.  The  same  was  true  of  small  groups  working 
independently.  Cities  which  hav  and  ar  making  the  most  progress  ar 
those  which  hav  lernd  to  co-ordinate  but  not  duplicate.  They  hav  lernd 
to  tax  themselvs  for  common  benefits  which  could  not  be  secured  thru 
individual  or  small-group  effort. 

This  is  the  great  principle  of  social  advance.  There  ar  funda- 
mental needs  which  ar  met  by  the  family  relationship  and  can  be  met 
in  no  other  way.  There  ar  some  needs  which  may  be  met  by  a  small 
group  of  families,  the  "neighborhood."  Man's  gregarious  instincts 
however  ar  not  satisfied  by  family  and  neighborhood  associations  alone. 
There  ar  certain  social  satisfactions  which  ar  secured  by  larger  groups, 
and  there  ar  certain  institutions  designd  to  meet  these  needs  which  can 
not  be  efficient  unless  supported  by  a  group  larger  than  the  family  or 
the  neighborhood. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  group  may  be  too  large.  Among  lower 
animals,  there  is  a  proper  size  of  efficiency  for  the  herd,  the  flock,  the 
swarm,  or  the  pack,  a  minimum  and  a  maximum,  which  determins  the 
number  composing  it.  Below  this,  the  group  does  not  prosper,  probably 
perishes.  Beyond  this,  the  .group  divides  into  separate  units.  In  social 
life,  the  law  of  diminishing  returns  is  operativ  just  as  in  economic  life. 

THE   COMMUNITY  GROUP 

There  is  a  group  which  may  support  an  efficient  church,  an  efficient 
school  system,  make  proper  provision  for  helth  and  recreation,  and 
sociability.  A  smaller  group  may  hav  a  weak  struggling  church,  an 
inefficient  school,  and  unsatisfactory  provisions  for  sociability.  A  larger 
group  may  be  compelled  to  multiply  the  size  of  these  institutions  beyond 
the  point  of  efficiency,  or  to  multiply  the  number  of  social  agencies  and 
institutions,  which  tends  to  lessen  the  sense  of  group  solidarity. 

The  social  group  of  sufficient  size  to  support  its  own  trading  center, 
its  own  mail  center,  its  own  recreation  center,  and  its  own  sociability, 


8  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

educational  and  religious  center,  without  unnecessary  duplication  of 
social  agencies  we  may  term  a  community. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  city  has  lernd  the  value  of  co-operation, 
and  because  of  this  has  been  able  to  offer  special  attractions  to  its  own 
inhabitants  and  to  draw  many  of  the  residents  of  the  small  community 
to  it.    The  small  rural  community  has  not  lernd  this  lesson. 

It  has  not  done  so  because  its  problems  hav  been  less  insistent. 
The  city  was  confronted  by  intolerable  conditions  which  led  to  thought- 
ful attention  to  the  discovery  and  application  of  remedies.  The  neces- 
sity for  co-operativ  action  was  sharp  and  cald  for  immediate  relief. 
Failure  to  act  brought  immediate  and  evident  undesirable  consequences. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  took  several  decades  for  the  lack  of  co-operativ 
action  to  become  very  apparent  in  the  life  of  the  rural  community,  and 
finally  in  the  life  of  the  nation.  The  barrenness  of  the  intensely  indi- 
vidualistic and  isolated  life  of  the  pioneer  period  was  thought  to  be 
of  necessity  the  only  possible  life  outside  the  city,  hence  little  effort 
was  made  to  secure  those  satisfactions  which  come  by  the  co-operation 
of  several  neighborhoods.  The  necessity  for  community  action  was  not 
brought  to  the  foreground.  The  failure  to  realize  this  has  prevented 
the  development  of  those  social  attractions  which  make  any  community 
a  desirable  place  in  which  to  liv  for  those  who  ar  not  satisfied  with  the 
more  primitiv  life  of  the  pioneer.  This  has  resulted  in  an  exodus  of 
many  of  the  most  activ  and  wide-awake  members  of  the  small  com- 
munity. The  first  step  toward  making  the  small  community  as  socially 
attractiv  as  the  city  is  for  it  to  realize  the  advantage  of  collectiv  effort 
over  individual  or  family  or  neighborhood  effort. 

It  is  important,  not  only  that  the  superiority  of  community  action 
over  the  effort  of  an  individual  or  of  a  small  group  of  individuals  be 
recognized.  It  is  necessary  to  establish  a  clear  concept  of  what  con- 
stitutes a  community.  There  is  evidence  that  some  unwise  policies  hav 
been  followd  in  attempting  to  improve  life  in  small  communities  thru 
failure  to  understand  the  term.  In  some  instances,  open  country  neigh- 
borhoods hav  attempted  to  improve  their  schools  by  combining  two  or 
three  neighborhood  schools.  The  same  effort  has  been  directed  toward 
strengthening  the  country  church,  and  in  two  or  three  instances  a  neigh- 
borhood house  has  been  erected  in  the  open  country. 

COUNTRY   AND  VILLAGE   NOT    CO-ORDINATED 

This  has  grown  out  of  the  belief  that  the  open  country  is  not  re- 
lated or  should  not  be  related  to  the  village  or  small  town  which  is  a 
product  of  the  open  country  and  is  stil  linkt  with  it.     On  the  other 


The  Small  Rural  Community:  Its  Life  and  Education  9 

hand,  the  village  and  small  town  hav  attempted  to  reorganize  their  life 
and  social  policies  as  though  they  wer  not  related  to  the  surrounding 
open  country  from  which  they  draw  their  sustenance.  There  hav  been 
those  who  would  organize  the  life  of  the  open  country  in  such  a  way 
as  to  disconnect  it  with  the  village  in  every  respect,  except  for  business 
purposes,  and  there  has  been  a  tendency  on  the  part  of  the  small  town 
to  separate  itself  from  the  country. 

Except  in  an  insolated  open-country  area  of  considerable  extent  and 
only  remotely  connected  with  its  trading  center,  this  policy  has  not 
proved  wise.  There  has  been  lacking  the  incentiv  of  numbers,  and  it 
has  violated  a  fundamental  principle  of  community  organization.  The 
more  natural  interests  which  may  be  organized  around  one  center  the 
stronger  wil  be  the  current  of  community  spirit.  There  is  no  natural 
division  of  interest  between  the  open  country  and  the  small  town  which 
grew  out  of  it.  The  economic  interest  of  the  open  country  gave  rise 
to  the  village.  When  unimpeded,  the  village  in  most  instances  became 
the  mail  center,  the  political  center,  the  religious  center,  the  recreational 
center.  There  is  increasing  evidence  that  the  village  is  becoming  the 
recognized  geografic,  and  as  a  result  the  psychical  center,  of  rural  com- 
munity life.  Those  small  communities  which  today  ar  making  the  most 
satisfactory  readjustments  ar  those  which  hav  establisht  this  one  com- 
mon center  with  the  trade  boundary,  the  religious  boundary,  the  recrea- 
tional boundary,  and  the  educational  boundary,  coterminous. 

LOSS  TO   THE  VILLAGE  AND   COUNTRY   TOWN 

The  rural  village  and  country  town  hav  lost  by  this  erroneous  idea 
of  separateness  of  interests  from  the  open  country.  Too  often  they  hav 
aped  the  city.  They  often  resent  being  termd  "rural."  The  small 
country  town  has  lackt  the  spirit  of  co-operation  and  community  action, 
which  has  characterized  the  city,  and  it  has  lackt  many  of  the  advantages 
of  the  open  country.  It  has  the  tendency  to  copy  the  city  without  hav- 
ing the  conditions  of  the  city,  and  it  often  "feels  above"  the  open 
country. 

As  a  result,  the  rural  village  has  been  in  a  worse  condition  socially 
than  either  the  city  or  the  open  country.  There  is  more  truth  than 
fiction  in  the  old  adage,  "God  made  the  country,  man  made  the  city, 
but  the  devil  made  the  small  town." 

It  has  been  said,  "When  you  think  it  over,  it  seems  as  if  the  worst 
problem  for  the  boy  or  girl  may  be  life  in  a  half-grown  village  or  small 
town.  There  we  may  not  hav  either  the  helthful  work  of  the  farm  or 
the  wide  variety  of  interests  of  the  city.    Poor  shows  ar  degrading,  but 


10  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

the  town  can  not  afford  high-class  ones.  Churches  ar  likely  to  be  weak 
and  perhaps  too  numerous.  Gambling  clubs  and  'speak  easies'  ar  likely 
to  be  common,  and  many  a  boy  or  girl  gets  a  downward  start  in  such 
a  place."  *  As  a  result,  the  most  ambitious  young  people  ar  leaving  the 
rural  village  and  country  in  quite  as  large  numbers  as  they  hav  the 
open  country,  and  they  will  continue  to  do  so  until  the  true  concept  of 
what  constitutes  the  rural  community  is  establisht  and  attempt  made 
by  the  entire  community  as  a  community  to  make  social  life  more 
attractiv. 

RECENT   CHANGES   IN   ATTITUDE 

However,  the  past  few  years  hav  brought  about  a  change  in  their 
attitude  towards  each  other.  Better  roads,  the  trolley,  and  more  especi- 
ally the  automobile,  hav  brought  the  farmer  to  the  village  and  sent  the 
villager  to  the  country.  The  farmers'  elevator,  the  co-operativ  creamery, 
and  the  country  bank,  all  of  which  ar  usually  backt  by  farm  and  village 
capital  and  managed  by  boards  of  directors  composed  of  both  farmers 
and  villagers,  hav  tended  to  break  down  the  feeling  of  separateness 
between  the  two.  In  fact,  it  is  not  uncommon  for  a  farmer  to  be  presi- 
dent of  the  bank  or  elevator  company.  In  the  close  association  for 
business  purposes,  gatherd  around  a  common  industry,  differences  in 
places  of  residence  hav  been  forgotten  and  each  is  beginning  to  realize 
that  after  all  it  is  bound  to  the  other  by  bonds  of  business  and  com- 
munity interest. 

This  presages  a  better  day  for  the  small  rural  community.  Some 
years  ago  Professor  Bailey  said,  "If  the  rural  village,  freed  from  urban 
influences,  could  then  become  a  real  integrating  part  of  the  open  country 
surroundings,  all  parties  would  be  servd  better  than  now/' 2  President 
Roosevelt's  commission  reported  that  "The  country  town  has  similar 
interests  with  the  open  country  about  it."  3  Dr.  Vogt  writes,  "There 
is  evidence  on  every  hand  that  the  village  is  becoming  more  and  more 
the  center  of  rural  life.  The  data  presented  in  the  discussion  of  the 
tendencies  in  the  rural  church  show  that  the  open-country  church  is 
giving  way  to  the  village  church  as  a  religious  center.  The  village  is 
becoming  the  center  of  the  recreational  life  of  the  open  country.  It  is 
also  tending  to  become  the  educational  center  of  rural  life.  It  has  been 
for  many  years  the  industrial  or  market  center  of  the  countryside."  4 

As  we  get  a  clearer  concept  of  what  constitutes  a  rural  community 
we  shal  realize  that  the  small  country  town  and  adjacent  open  country 

1  Hughes'  Community  Civics,  pp.  468. 

2  The  Country  Life  Movement,  pp.  27. 

8  Report  of  Country  Life  Commission,  pp.  148. 
4  Introduction  to  Rural  Sociology,  pp.  341. 


The  Small  Rural  Community :  Its  Life  and  Education  11 

constitute  a  social  group,  rural  in  interest  and  with  common  social 
problems  of  a  nature  distinct  from  those  of  the  city. 

Since  the  findings  of  the  Commission  on  Country  Life  hav  been 
made  known,  life  in  the  open  country  has  improved  in  some  respects. 
Better  economic  conditions  prevail.  Progressiv  farmers  hav  organized 
farm  bureaus.  ^Agricultural  advisers  hav  been  employd,  and  farmers' 
sons  ar  receiving  encouragement  to  study  agriculture  just  as  prospectiv 
doctors  ar  taking  special  training  in  medicine.  Production  is  being 
increast  by  the  application  of  scientific  principles.  Farming  is  becom- 
ing a  business.  There  is  an  improvement  in  the  means  of  communica- 
tion. Little  has  been  done,  however,  to  improve  helth,  increase  social 
attractivness  or  improve  educational  facilities  in  any  fundamental  way 
in  most  parts  of  the  country. 

SOCIAL  ATTRACTIVNESS   NECESSARY 

The  small  rural  community  must  be  economically  prosperous.  This 
is  a  basic  necessity.  Further  social  improvement  is  impossible  without 
it.  But  so  long  as  the  small  community  must  go  to  the  city  for  recrea- 
tion and  sociability  and  for  better  educational  facilities,  just  that  long 
wil  it  be  draind  of  its  best  resources.  Eural  life  must  be  made  socially 
attractiv.  This  wil  be  secured  only  thru  the  co-operativ  effort  of  the 
entire  community  acting  as  a  community  in  mobilizing  its  own  resources. 
Proper  educational  facilities  wil  be  afforded  only  when  the  entire  com- 
munity co-operates  in  securing  a  community  school  fitted  especially  to 
the  needs  of  the  small  rural  community.  We  must  cease  thinking  of 
improvements  in  economic  welfare  alone  or  in  terms  of  the  single  family 
or  of  the  neighborhood,  but  rather  of  the  increast  attractivness  of  all- 
round  living  in  terms  of  the  entire  community. 

AWAKENING   OF   COMMUNITY    SPIRIT 

During  the  war  we  had  a  demonstration  of  the  efficiency  of  the 
nation  when  fixing  its  thought  and  energy  upon  the  one  idea,  "Win  the 
War."  This  was  done  by  mobilizing  the  capabilities  of  all  the  social 
units  of  the  entire  country.  It  was  only  when  the  neighborhood  groups, 
the  church  groups,  the  vocational  groups,  the  small  town  and  open 
country  came  together  as  a  community  and  organized  upon  a  community 
basis  that  they  wer  able  to  carry  every  war  drive  to  a  successful  con- 
clusion. For  over  a  year  every  small  community  of  the  country  lived 
in  an  atmosphere  of  community  co-operation.  We  realize  now  the  ad- 
vantage of  community  action  over  that  of  the  small  group.  It  remains 
for  us  to  continue  this  community  spirit  in  the  solution  of  social 
problems. 


12  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

SOCIAL   PROBLEMS    OF   SMALL   COMMUNITY   DISTINCTIV 

An  analysis  of  the  life  and  social  problems  of  the  open  country, 
rural  village,  and  small  country  town  shows  that  they  ar  somewhat 
distinct  from  those  of  the  city.  In  the  former,  agriculture  is  the  maiu 
concern,  and  the  life  and  occupations  of  those  in  the  village  ar  con- 
ditiond  by  their  agricultural  environment.  The  village  and  country 
town  hav  grown  out  the  open  country  and  remain  linkt  with  it,  hence 
ar  still  "rural."  The  social  problems  ar  those  of  a  people  bound  together 
as  a  community  of  small  numbers  with  residences  scatter d,  and  with 
less  specialization  of  occupation  than  the  city. 

The  social  problems  of  the  city  ar  those  of  larger  masses  of  people 
with  residences  compactly  situated,  and  of  people  directly  concernd 
with  the  more  specialized  occupations  of  industry  and  trade.  The  small 
rural  community  is  occupied  with  the  first  steps  in  the  production  of 
crops  from  the  soil  and  with  the  problems  of  the  small  social  group. 
The  city  is  occupied  with  the  fabrication  of  raw  materials,  with  their 
marketing,  and  distribution,  and  with  the  social  problems  incidental  to 
the  large  group. 

NECESSITY   FOR   DISTINCTIV   TYPE   OF   SCHOOL 

It  is  evident  that  the  social  institutions  of  the  two  types  of  com- 
munities should  be  somewhat  distinct  as  the  social  problems  of  each  ar 
distinct.  It  follows  that  the  schools  of  the  small  rural  community 
should  be  of  a  type  peculiarly  suited  to  itself,  and  that  the  school 
adapted  to  the  city  should  be  somewhat  different  from  that  of  an  agri- 
cultural community.  The  material  presented  in  the  various  school  sub- 
jects wil  differ  to  some  extent  just  as  the  out-of -school  experiences  of 
the  children  differ.  It  is  also  possible  and  desirable  to  make  some  differ- 
ence in  manner  of  presenting  material. 

It  is  also  evident  that  the  one-room  country  school  is  not  a  type  of 
school  in  harmony  with  the  advancing  ideas  of  social  organization.  It 
is  the  result  of  neighborhood  effort  in  education  rather  than  community 
effort.  It  was  the  best  solution  of  the  problem  of  education  for  the 
period  which  cald  it  into  existence  and  it  did  a  wonderful  work.  Like 
the  "doubleshovel"  for  plowing  corn,  and  the  "cradle"  for  cutting  wheat, 
it  met  the  need  of  the  times  better  than  any  educational  attempt  made 
before  for  democratizing  lerning  under  pioneer  conditions;  but  it  does 
not  belong  to  the  age  of  the  tractor  and  self-binder.  It  is  a  heritage  of 
the  pioneer  period  persisting  on  down  into  an  age  when  few  people  who 
can  help  themselvs  ar  satisfied  to  liv  under  pioneer  conditions.  School 
children  belong  to  this  helpless  class  and  must  continue  to  be  educated 


The  Small  Rural  Community :  Its  Life  and  Education  13 

with  the  same  educational  machinery  as  their  pioneer  gradfathers  until 
their  fathers  and  the  taxpayers  see  fit  to  reorganize  educational  facilities 
on  the  same  modern  basis  as  they  conduct  their  money-making 
activities. 

However,  there  ar  some  fields  which  cannot  be  cultivated  or  the 
grain  harvested  with  modern  implements.  It  is  better  in  such  instances 
to  use  the  cradle  and  the  double-shovel  than  to  let  these  fields  lie  totally 
fallow.  For  them,  let  us  continue  to  make  the  best  cradles  and  doubie- 
shovels  possible.  In  like  manner,  the  one-room  school  wil  persist  for  a 
long  time  in  neighborhoods  so  situated  geografically  that  they  ar  not 
integral  parts  of  a  community,  or  in  which  roads  and  means  of  trans- 
portation ar  stil  in  a  primitiv  state.  It  wil  persist  in  other  backward 
neighborhoods  which  ar  slow  to  recognize  the  advantage  of  community 
effort  over  neighborhood  effort  in  education.  In  neighborhoods  like 
these,  the  obvious  thing  to  do  is  to  make  the  one-room  school  just  as 
efficient  as  it  is  possible  for  a  one-room,  ungraded  school  to  be.  If  we 
had  Mabel  Carneys  and  Mrs.  Porters  enough  to  go  around,  we  should 
hav  much  better  one-room  schools  than  we  now  hav,  but  we  hav  few 
teachers  of  their  type  and  even  they  do  not  long  continue  as  teachers 
in  the  neighborhood  schools. 

The  schools  of  the  rural  village  and  country  town  usually  seek  to 
imitate  a  city  school,  and  with  poor  success.  As  we  get  the  concept 
that  the  rural  village  or  country  town  together  with  the  surrounding 
open  country  constitute  a  community,  and  that  education  is  a  need  best 
met  by  community  action,  we  shal  bild  a  type  of  school  which  wil  be 
peculiarly  fitted  for  rural  community  conditions.  It  wil  be  a  type  dis- 
t'nctly  pland  to  utilize  the  rich  life  experience  of  boys  and  girls  who 
do  not  suffer  the  educativ-experience  privations  and  over-stimulations 
of  the  boys  and  girls  of  the  city. 

RICH   LIFE   EXPERIENCES    OE   THE    SMALL    COMMUNITY    CHILD 

It  is  evident  that  the  child  of  the  small  rural  community  conies  to 
school  with  a  fund  of  experiences  different  from  those  of  his  city  cousin. 
In  the  open  country,  he  has  had  first-hand  contact  with  plants  and 
animals,  has  taken  part  in  productiv  activity,  and  knows  the  meaning 
of  responsibility.  To  only  a  little  less  degree,  the  child  of  the  rural 
village  or  country  town  has  had  the  same  experiences.  His  own  home 
carries  on  the  semi-rural  activities  such  as  gardening,  poultry-raising, 
fruit-culture  and  probably  keeps  a  cow  and  pigs.  He  is  in  touch  with 
farm  activities  because  he  livs  in  an  agricultural  community. 

It  is  significant  that  the  benefit  of  such  experiences  as  these  ar  so 
highly  valued  by  some  city  fathers  that  they  hav  attempted  to  supply 


14  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

these  first-hand  contacts  at  great  expense  for  their  own  boys  by  estab- 
lishing schools  outside  of  the  city  with  gardens,  orchards,  poultry,  live- 
stock, and  small  farms,  for  which  the  boys  ar  responsible.  In  these 
schools,  the  content  of  the  school  subjects — arithmetic,  geometry,  physics, 
chemistry,  drawing,  annual  training,  English  composition,  etc. — is  based 
more  or  less  upon  the  problems  growing  out  of  this  first-hand  contact 
with  realities.  It  has  cost  much  to  create  these  advantages,  but  the 
boys  and  girls  of  the  country  town  and  farm  hav  them  as  a  part  of  their 
everyday  life,  yet  the  schools  in  these  small  communities  hav  ignored 
them  and  sought  to  copy  the  city  school. 

RURAL  EDUCATION  MUST  BE  "RURALIZED" 

English,  both  spoken  and  written,  mathematics,  science,  and  all 
school  subjects  should  hav  for  their  purpose  the  development  of  a  com- 
mand of  the  technique  of  living.  A  mastery  of  these  subjects  and  the 
ability  to  use  them  properly  ar  secured  in  the  most  economical  way  when 
they  ar  acquired  thru  life  situations.  This  being  true,  children  should 
come  to  books  thru  a  desire  to  clear  up  problems  growing  out  of  first- 
hand contact  with  life  situations.  Books  hav  value  only  as  they  accom- 
pany or  follow  experience. 

This  first-hand  contact  is  much  more  lacking  in  the  life  of  the  city 
child,  hence  the  tendency  to  crowd  books  upon  him  which  he  has  diffi- 
culty in  interpreting.  The  child  of  the  rural  community  has  rich  life 
experiences  and  he  should  hav  a  type  of  school  which  would  utilize 
them,  a  type  distinct  from  that  of  the  city.  The  content  of  his  science, 
mathematics,  and  other  school  subjects  should  be  drawn  from  rural 
environment.  The  principles  of  all  subjects,  of  course,  ar  the  same, 
but  the  activities  and  phenomena  from  which  they  may  be  taught  ar 
distinct. 

This  new  type  of  school  wil  not  only  be  a  community  school,  but 
it  wil  be  distinctiv,  not  an  imitation  of  a  city  school.  It  wil  hav;  a 
teacher  of  agriculture  who  is  employd  twelv  months  in  the  year  and 
available  for  the  boys  below  the  high-school  age  as  wel  as  for  the  high- 
school  boys.  His  work  wil  be  based  upon  the  projects  of  the  boys  on 
the  farm.  For  the  boys  in  the  village,  the  school  wil  hav  a  small  farm. 
On  this  the  town  boys  may  hav,  like  the  country  boys,  corn  projects, 
potato  projects,  milk  cow  projects,  sow  and  pig  projects,  orchard  pro- 
jects, etc.,  out  of  which  wil  grow  problems  of  physics,  chemistry,  arith- 
metic, geometry,  oral  and  written  composition,  the  construction  of  hog 
houses,  poultry  houses,  corn  cribs,  work  in  concrete,  harness  mending, 
etc. 


The  Small  Rural  Community:  Its  Life  and  Education  15 

Working  with  the  agricultural  teacher  will  be  the  teacher  of  manual 
training  also  employd  by  the  year.  During  the  summer  they  would  go 
about  the  community  helping  the  boys  with  their  projects  on  the  farm, 
and  the  town  boys  with  the  school  farm.  The  teachers  of  mathematics, 
science,  and  English  would  correlate  the  work  of  their  departments,  so 
far  as  possible,  with  these  home  projects.  The  teacher  of  home  econo- 
mics would  also  be  useful  during  the  summer  directing  the  canning, 
preserving,  summer  dress  making,  and  other  projects  of  the  girls.  The 
English  teacher  might  be  selected  with  a  view  to  having  her  direct 
the  home  talent  plays  and  theatricals  of  the  community.  She  would 
find  much  to  be  done  during  the  summer,  direct  the  Fourth  of  July 
pageant  for  instance,  put  on  by  the  entire  community,  hence  should  be 
employd  by  the  year. 

The  physical  training  teacher,  who  would  also  be  instructor  in 
hygiene,  would  spend  his  summer  directing  the  community  out-door 
sports  and  playground  work,  and  the  music  teacher  would  be  busy  with 
the  community  band,  orchestra  and  choral  clubs. 

THE   COMMUNITY   ELEMENTARY   SCHOOL 

Unfortunately,  in  Illinois  we  hav  not  advanced  the  community 
school  movement  as  it  has  been  in  some  other  states.  So  far  as  com- 
munity action  for  high-school  purposes  is  concerned,  we  ar  in  the  lead. 
It  is  reported  that  over  170  communities  since  last  July  hav  established 
community  schools  for  the  benefit  of  boys  and  girls  of  high-school  age. 
It  is  significant  that  we  no  longer  hear  of  new  "township"  high  schools. 
They  ar  "community"  high  schools.  It  indicates  that  we  ar  recognizing 
the  significance  of  grouping  ourselvs  by  social  units  rather  than  by 
political  areas.  It  seems  unfortunate,  however,  that  we  ar  slower  to 
recognize  the  needs  of  the  boys  and  girls  below  the  high  school,  many 
of  whom  get  no  farther  than  the  elementary  school.  The  work  of  the 
first  eight  years  is  the  most  important  of  all.  The  subsequent  advance 
even  of  those  fortunate  ones  who  go  on  thru  high  school  is  conditiond 
by  the  character  of  their  early  school  training,  and  a  neighborhood 
school  is  just  as  inefficient  for  grade  school  work  as  it  is  for  high-school 
work.  We  ar  not  democratizing  the  educational  opportunities  of  the 
children  of  the  small  community  so  long  as  we  provide  better  advantages 
for  the  few  who  go  to  high  school  than  for  those  who  do  not. 

However,  there  is  evidence  that  this  inequality  wil  not  long  persist. 
As  we  see  the  value  of  community  action  over  neighborhood  action  in 
providing  high-school  privileges,  we  shal  apply  the  community  prin- 
ciple to  our  schools  of  lower  grade  as  wel.     Another  thing,  we  shal 


16  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

hav  secured  a  clear  concept  of  what  constitutes  a  social  unit  or  com- 
munity. Because  of  this  we  shal  arrange  our  community  school  bound- 
aries and  organize  our  community  schools  upon  a  more  scientific  basis 
than  that  followd  in  some  of  the  earlier  attempts  at  educational  recon- 
struction in  other  states.  To  secure  the  best  results,  we  must  establish 
clearly  the  concept  of  what  constitutes  a  community.  We  must  be  able 
to  determin  its  physical  and  geographic  center  and  boundary,  and  above 
all,  we  must  recognize  the  advantage  of  community  action  over  indi- 
vidual action,  or  family  action,  or  neighborhood  action  in  satisfying  the 
educational  needs  of  human  life. 

A  DISTINCTIV   TYPE   OF   TEACHER   NEEDED 

The  small  rural  community  not  only  must  hav  a  school  peculiar  to 
itself.  It  must  hav  teachers  with  a  type  of  training  somewhat  distinct 
from  that  of  the  city.  In  the  first  place,  they  must  not  be  "city-minded." 
They  must  be  people  who  prefer  the  small  community  to  the  city. 
Furthermore,  they  must  be  sufficiently  familiar  with  the  life  of  the 
small  community  to  correlate  the  work  of  the  school  with  the  out-of- 
school  experience  of  the  children.  And,  while  their  first  great  concern 
is  to  teach  a  good  school,  they  hav  a  work  to  do  as  members  of  the 
community.  They  must  first  establish  themselvs  as  leaders  of  the  edu- 
cational work  of  the  community;  but  more  than  that,  they  should  be 
leaders,  or  capable  of  developing  leaders  for  the  general  community 
betterment.  In  order  to  do  this  they  should  know  the  peculiar  char- 
acteristics of  the  small  community  as  a  community,  its  strength  and  its 
weakness,  and  what  other  small  communities  ar  doing  to  make  life  in 
them  more  attractiv  socially. 

BEST-TRAIND   TEACHERS   ATTRACTED   TO    CITIES 

It  follows,  then,  that  the  normal  schools  and  colleges  of  education 
should  offer  not  only  those  courses  that  show  how  to  teach  school  sub- 
jects with  a  small  community  "twist,"  but  also  those  that  deal  with  the 
general  social  problems  of  the  whole  community.  When  this  is  done, 
and  when  the  small  community  reaches  the  point  where  it  is  willing 
to  pay  its  teachers  a  salary  commensurate  with  that  which  the  city 
offers,  its  own  young  people  wil  not  be  attracted  to  the  teaching  posi- 
tions of  the  city. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  per  capita  welth  of  the  average  small  com- 
munity is  greater  than  that  of  the  city,  and  therefore  the  small  com- 
munity can  wel  afford  to  secure  the  best-traind  teachers,  but  it  is  not 
accustomd  to  taxing  itself  so  generously  for  public  welfare.    If  it  should 


The  Small  Rural  Community:  Its  Life  and  Education  17 

do  so  and  establish  community  schools,  it  could  compete  successfully 
with  the  city;  for  when  it  wil  pay  what  it  is  easily  able  to  pay  it  can 
secure  teachers  wel-prepared  for  work  in  the  small  community  insted 
of  those  with  no  special  preparation  at  all  or  those  only  partly  traind 
for  city  schools.  A  teacher's  worth  and  ability  ar  no  longer  mesurd 
by  the  size  of  the  community  in  which  he  works. 

Many — one  can  say  almost  all — of  the  young  people  from  the  small 
community  who  graduate  from  the  normal  schools  and  teachers  colleges 
ar  drawn  to  the  larger  cities  by  the  higher  salaries;  and  once  there, 
their  social  recognition  is  very  limited  and  their  social  connections  out- 
side of  the  classroom  ar  very  few. 

THE   TEACHER   IN   TILE  SMALL   COMMUNITY 

In  the  small  community  the  teacher  is  recognized  and  welcomd 
to  share  community  life.  Here  teachers  may  become  constructiv  factors 
outside  the  walls  of  the  schoolroom,  which  brings  a  broader  personal 
development  and  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  they  count  for  some- 
thing in  the  broader  relations  of  life.  Moreover,  this  broader  association 
makes  them  more  worth  while  as  classroom  teachers.  They  understand 
better  what  should  be  taught  the  children  and  how  to  teach  it  in  a  way 
to  make  the  work  of  the  school  useful  to  the  boys  and  girls  in  their 
broader  community  relations.  It  is  sometimes  charged  that  the  teacher 
is  narrow.  If  this  charge  be  true  it  is  due  to  the  fact  that  he  is  too 
closely  confined  in  his  interests  and  connections  in  the  schoolroom,  and 
is  not  a  participator  in  the  general  life  of  the  community. 

THE  FUTURE  OF   THE  SMALL  RURAL   COMMUNITY 

It  is  believd  that  the  small  rural  community,  because  of  its  ad- 
vantage in  size  of  group  and  because  of  its  location  and  manner  of  gain- 
ing a  living,  may  organize  upon  a  community  basis  more  effectivly  than  a 
city.  It  is  believd  that  at  the  present  time  our  most  stable  population 
livs  in  the  rural  community.  It  as  believd  that  here  the  most  normal 
life  may  be  livd,  and  that  if  the  institutions  of  the  community  ar  prop- 
erly organized  it  offers  social  attractivness  of  the  very  highest  order. 
It  is  believd  that  the  time  is  near  when  the  highest  type  of  social  ad- 
vancement wil  be  found  in  the  quiet,  rational  life  of  the  small  rural 
community,  "renewd,  quickend,  proud  of  its  advancement,  and  offering 
those  satisfactions  which  answer  to  the  most  fundamental  cravings  of 
human  nature." 


18 


The  Normal  School  Quarterly 


Fi's.\ 

f 

X 

■ 

£3 

X 

& 

X 

■ 

o 

X 

b 

& 

X 

m 

®  6^/  /7/// 

K  £?/7<r  /?oo/77  sSchoo/s 

Q    C/)U  rc/>eS 

■  Country  -3 fores 

O  ^9o  c  /b  r ^  Offtc  e 


The  Small  Rural  Community:  Its  Life  and  Education  19 


A  PIONEER  TYPE  OF  RURAL  COMMUNITY 

(Saline  County) 

Figure  1  represents  a  belated  community  of  the  pioneer  type  in  one 
of  the  oldest  counties  in  Illinois.  Note  that  there  is  no  railroad  and  no 
centering  of  interests  around  any  one  core.  The  trading  interests  ar 
divided  among  three  widely  separated  country  stores.  The  grist  mill 
stil  servs  the  people,  but  has  a  separate  location  and  the  churches  ar 
weak  and  scatterd.  The  only  educational  facilities  ar  the  one-room 
country  schools  of  the  backward  type.  Few  children  complete  the  eighth 
year  of  the  common  school,  and  no  high  school  is  available  without 
leaving  the  community.  The  roads  are  poor  and  there  ar  practically 
no  recreational  facilities.  Collectiv  action  would  be  difficult,  yet  it  is 
the  only  way  the  boys  and  girls  in  this  region  may  be  given  an  even 
chance  in  life. 


20 


The  Normal  School  Quarterly 


Fi<\.fL 


O Vil/ao e   gr-o  dec/  sc/700/  €>Ces) ■fro/iz ed h/yh  sc/70 0/ 
fJPOge/?  coon  fry  co/?so//& '  ofed  graded   ond  htgh  Schoo/s 
&  Ch  urches  ^ — > —  Approximate  "frodP boundory 

. —-  Cons  of/do  red  sc/700/  dou  n  do  ry 

^Grange  ho//  ond  -fni*~  g roc nd$ 


The  Small  Rural  Community:  Its  Life  and  Education  21 


A  PARTIALLY  CENTRALIZED  COMMUNITY 

(Putnam  County) 

Figure  2  represents  a  community  of  wide-awake  people  but  divided 
into  small  groups.  Note  that  while  the  area  of  the  community  is  small, 
including  a  township,  yet  it  has  three  villages.  Note  the  division  of 
church  interests.  Villages  1  and  2  hav  so-cald  community  high  schools 
surrounded  by  one-room  country  schools.  Three  one-room  schools  in 
the  center  of  the  township  hav  consolidated  and  support  another  little 
high  school,  making  the  third  in  'the  township.  The  combined  enrol- 
ment of  the  three  would  make  a  high  school  of  from  60  to  100  pupils, 
but  separated,  teaching  cannot  be  much  -specialized  and  teachers  ar 
usually  inexperienst  and  remain  only  long  enough  to  get  the  experience 
sufficient  to  qualify  for  a  larger  and  more  specialized  school.  -The  three 
divisions  of  this  township  ar  really  three  neighborhoods,  and  they  are 
all  progressiv,  but  each  is  trying  to  do  what  a  community  can  do  better 
and  with  less  effort  and  expense. 


22 


The  Normal  School  Quarterly 


F>5-  3 


x  One-room     school. 
6  Community    hioh    school. 

OViUaqe    graded    school. 

^Communrby    hiqh  school    boundary. 

-"  Trade    boundary. 

^Recreational     boundary. 


The  Small  Rural  Community:  Its  Life  and  Education  23 


A  GEOGRAPHICALLY  COMPACT  TYPE  OF  COMMUNITY 

(Moultrie  County) 

Figure  3  represents  a  community  favorably  situated  for  collectiv 
effort  altho  it  has  only  to  a  limited  extent  attempted  .to  realize  its 
possibilities.  Note  that  it  has  only  one  village,  that  its  trade  area  and 
recreational  area  coincide;  and  that  its  religious  interests  center  in  the 
same  village  with  the  exception  of  small  notches  on  the  extreme  west 
and  north.  It  has  centralized  its  educational  efforts  in  a  community 
high  school  with  district  lines  almost  identical  with  its  trade  boundary, 
but  its  educational  organization  for  children  below  the  high  school  is 
stil  decentralized.  Five  churches  center  in  the  village,  more  than  the 
community  can  wel  support,  yet, this  community  has  great  possibilities. 


24 


The  Normal  School  Quarterly 


r«j.  A- 


£3  Ch urch       EI  CenfraJjz.ee/  graded  and  high schoo/ 

School  boundary — A/oprox/mafe  trade  boundary 

— -Approxz/nafe  recrcalionol     boundary 


The  Small  Rural  Community:  Its  Life  and  Education  25 


A  WELL-DEVELOPT  COMMUNITY 

(Woodford  County) 

Figure  .4  represents  a  well  advanst  type  of  community.  It  will  be 
noted  that  marketing  interests,  recreational  interests,  religions  life,  and 
educational  facilities  ar  centerd  in  one  place  and  include  nearly  the  same 
areas.  The  only  exceptions  to  complete  solidarity  ar  the  church  on  the 
western  outskirts,  and  those  people  who  ar  within  the  recreational  and 
trading  community  but  not  included  in  the  school  community.  Com- 
munity spirit  is  strong  and,  if  organized  and  functioning  thru  a  com- 
munity council  with  a  program  for  the  future  years,  would  result  in  a 
very  attractiv  and  wholesome  community. 


26 


The  Normal  School  Quarterly 


_£>&_5l . 


13  Centra //zee/  co mm  unity    graded "  ond  h  '$  h  School 
0  Community  hou ss  O  Com  munc/y  church 

*• 7?odet  Vter cat tonal f  trelio-/ousf  and   educotiono  I 

houn'c/of/es    coincide  />rocf/ca//y    throughout 


The  Small  Rural  Community:  Its  Life  and  Education  27 


A  FULLY  ORGANIZED  RURAL  COMMUNITY  (Fig.  5) 
A  RURAL  COMMUNITY  CENTER  (Fig.  6) 

Figure  5  represents  a  community  not  only  wel  centralized  around 
a  central  core,  but  one  highly  organized  for  collectiv  effort.  The  trade, 
religious,  recreational,  and  educational  boundaries  practically  coincide. 
Religious  interests  ar  centerd  in  one  community  church,  and  educational 
interests  ar  centerd  in  one  community  graded  and  high  school. 

The  schools  employ  the  principal,  the  teachers  of  agriculture,  home 
economics,  manual  training,  physical  training,  one  of  the  English 
teachers,  and  the  music  teacher  for  twelv  months  in  the  year.  During 
the  summer  their  time  is  employ d  in  assisting  the  boys  and  girls  with 
home  projects  and  in  helping  out  with  community  activities.  The 
teacher  of  agriculture  acts  as  agricultural  adviser  for  the  district  under 
the  direction  of  the  county  adviser,  and  during  the  winter  offers  a  short 
course  and  holds  conferences  with  men  out  of  school.  The  household 
science  teacher  also  does  extension  work.  The  manual  training  teacher 
helps  in  plans  for  bildings  in  the  community  and  as  far  as  possible 
uses  these  bilding  problems  as  projects  for  the  high-school  boys.  The 
school  has  a  six-acre  tract  which  is  laid  off  in  half-acre  plots  for  demon- 
stration in  the  use  of  fertilizers,  crop  rotation,  tillage,  etc.,  following  the 
suggestions  of  the  state  college  of  agriculture.  These  plots  ar  separated 
by  drives  and  ar  explaind  by  large  signboards  which  may  be  red  from 
the  roadways.  The  physical-training  teacher,  in  addition  to  his  regular 
school  physical  training  and  athletic  work,  directs  the  playgrounds  and 
outdoor  sports  of  the  community  during  the  summer. 

This  community  is  favored  with  a  Community  Building  and  this, 
supplemented  by  the  school  bilding,  makes  possible  numerous  com- 
munity activities.  Community  House  has  a  library  and  reading  room, 
a  game  room,  a  small  auditorium  and  memorial  hall — also  used  for 
committees,  conferences,  meetings  for  the  Boy  Scouts,  Girl  Scouts,  Pig 
Clubs,  and  other  adult  and  juvenil  organizations.  It  also  has  three 
bowling  alleys,  and  a  swimming  pool.  The  school  auditorium  is  used 
for  larger  gatherings  and  the  school  gymnasium  is  open  for  community 
use.  The  community  functions  thru  a  Community  Council  composed 
of  representativs  of  the  various  organizations  of  the  district.  The  school 
principal  is  secretary  of  the  Council.     A  community  fair  is  held  every 


28  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

fall.  A  summer  chautauqua  of  five  days  and  a  lecture  course  ar  sup- 
ported. There  is  no  commercialized  theatre,  but  the  entertainment 
committee  of  the  Council  supervises  motion  pictures  two  nights  a  week, 
and  home  talent  plays  ar  given.  One  of  the  English  teachers  has  been 
employd  with  the  view  to  having  her  help  in  staging  community  plays. 
She  is  employd  by  the  year.  A  pageant  is  put  on  every  spring  and  a 
Harvest  Home  Festival  is  given  in  the  fall.  The  school  director  of 
music,  in  addition  to  directing  the  music  work  in  the  schools  with  its 
choruses,  orchestra,  and  band,  directs  the  community  band  and  com- 
munity singing  which  is  a  feature  of  many  of  the  community  gatherings. 
A  light  opera  is  given  by  the  school  and  community  every  winter  and  a 
concert  is  made  a  feature  of  the  May  pageant  day. 

One  of  the  social  features  of  the  community  is  the  monthly  com- 
munity dinner  servd  in  the  school  gymnasium  at  six  o'clock  followed 
by  a  community  sing,  games,  and  dancing  in  which  old  and  young  hav 
a  part.  The  community  is  fortunate  in  sharing  with  the  county  in  the 
benefits  of  a  county  agricultural  adviser,  a  county  nurse,  a  county 
Y.  M.  C  A.  secretary,  and  a  county  Y.  W.  C  A.  secretary. 

Activities  such  as  these  are  impossible  with  a  small  neighborhood 
group  and  show  the  rich  possibilities  of  rural  community  life  if  all  the 
elements  of  the  community  combine  for  collectiv  effort  in  realizing 
these  possibilities. 


Fig.  6 


-/oyground 

and 
'thief, c    f'eld 


Trove  for  Surnnn 
jothermcjj/  Picnic 
'hotit ouo  cio s    etc 


r 

"\ 

Ajncutt 
demonsfr 

at, On 

gro  u 

nds 

\M itching  S/>eds\ 


Automobile 

parking 

space 


Bowling 

Alle  ys 


Srnall  acidiene? 

room  end 
Memonat  fall 

n 


'  Ty  tious  e 


C  orn  m  u  n  ity 
Set)  00/ 

Building 


Science 

-„%- 

\ 


Put,  he     til  ah  way 


A    RURAL    COMMUNITY    CENTER 


The  Rural  Education  Department  29 


Part  II 
THE  RURAL  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT 

OF  THE 

ILLINOIS   STATE   NORMAL   UNIVERSITY 

PURPOSE 

The  purpose  of  this  Department  is  to  prepare  teachers  for  schools 
in  rural  communities.    It  is  three-fold  in  its  aims : 

First. — To  giv  teachers  a  knowledg  of  the  character  and  assets  of 
the  rural  community  and  how  to  assist  in  using  them,  not  only  for  more 
efficient  schools  but  also  for  making  rural  life  socially  more  attractiv. 
It  is  important  first  of  all  that  they  be  able  to  teach  a  good  school,  but 
it  is  not  enuf  that  they  know  how  to  do  the  work  of  the  classroom.  The 
rural  teacher  must  be  an  activ  citizen  of  the  rural  community,  redy  and 
capable  of  acting  as  leader,  if  necessary,  in  developing  the  leaders  in  the 
community. 

Second. — To  giv  teachers  an  understanding  of  school  subjects  so 
re-organized  as  to  fit  the  first-hand  experiences  of  the  children  of  the 
open  country  and  rural  village. 

Third. — To  train  teachers  in  the  art  of  teaching  by  utilizing  the 
home  surroundings  of  the  pupils  as  a  basis  for  teaching.  The  homes  of 
the  children,  their  gardens,  their  orchards,  their  live-stock,  their  poultry, 
their  farms,  their  house-keeping;  their  canning,  cooking,  and  sewing 
activities ;  the  creeks,  hills,  trees,  prairies,  and  roads  of  the  community, 
the  tools,  household  appliances  of  the  home,  the  sidewalks,  bilding  pro- 
jects, etc.,  ar  the  laboratory  materials  supplied  by  the  community  which 
may  be  utilized  by  the  school  in  the  educativ  process.  Teachers  must 
know  what  is  termd  the  "project  method." 

WHAT    TYPE    OF    STUDENT    SHOULD    TAKE    WORK    IN    THIS    DEPARTMENT 

All  teachers  or  prospectiv  teachers  who  ar  "rural  minded"  should 
take  work  in  this  Department.  It  is  difficult  to  point  out  the  difference 
between  "rural  minded"  and  "city  minded,"  but  there  is  a  difference. 
The  "rural  mind"  finds  more  satisfaction  in  producing  raw  materials, 
the  "city  mind"  in  trading  or  fabricating  them.  The  "rural  mind"  likes 
the  soil,  likes  to  make  plants  and  animals  grow,  and,  in  the  every  day 


30  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

round  of  life,  derives  more  satisfaction  from  being  in  sight  of  the  open 
country  of  fields  and  hills  and  trees,  and  birds  and  plants  than  from 
the  clang  of  traffic  on  city  pavements,  and  the  sight  of  the  city  sky 
scrapers.  The  "rural  mind"  prefers  the  natural  to  the  fabricated.  The 
environment  of  childhood  in  the  rural  community,  open  country  or  rural 
village,  tends  to  produce  the  "rural  mind,"  hence  prospectiv  teachers 
from  open  country  or  country  town  ar  more  likely  to  find  work  in  this 
department  which  satisfies  their  inclination.  However,  there  ar  people 
who  hav  grown  up  in  cities  who  hav  "rural  minds"  and  hence  should 
take  this  work.  There  ar  those  from  the  rural  community  who  ar 
"city  minded,"  hence  would  not  (find  the  problems  considerd  in  this 
department  suited  to  them. 

THE    OPPORTUNITY    FOR    ADVANCEMENT    FOR    THOSE    WHO    TAKE    WORK 

IN    THIS    DEPARTMENT 

The  opportunity  for  advancement  for  those  who  take  special  train- 
ing in  this  field  was  never  so  great  as  it  is  today,  and  the  next  fifteen 
years  wil  see  the  field  widening.  Those  who  think  graduates  of  this 
department  ar  prepared  only  for  one-room  country  schools  or  at  best 
for  village  schools  fail  to  judge  correctly.  The  rural  community  field 
is  one  of  the  most  promising  fields  for  those  who  hav  had  special  training 
in  rural  community  problems. 


In  the  field  of  teaching  there  is  the  "one-room"  country  school. 
While  this  type  of  school  is  a  heritage  of  the  age  of  neighborhood  effort 
rather  than  community  effort  to  supply  educational  advantages,  it  wil 
linger  for  some  time  yet  in  neighborhoods  which  from  geografical  iso- 
lation ar  compeld  to  continue  it,  and  in  other  neighborhoods  which  fail 
to  see  the  advantage  of  community  effort  over  neighborhood  effort  in 
education. 

Thru  the  activity  of  the  State  Department  of  Education  of  Illinois 
and  with  the  co-operation  of  school  offisers  and  people  of  open  country 
neighborhoods,  we  hav  over  3,000  one-room  country  schools  which  hav 
developt  school  plants  and  methods  of  instruction  to  a  point  above  the 
average  one-room  school.  These  ar  called  "Standard  Schools."  To 
secure  this  distinction  they  hav  raised  the  standard  of  their  school 
premises,  bilding,  and  equipment  to  a  high  degree  of  excellence.  But 
more  important  yet,  they  must  maintain  a  high  standard  of  school- 
room instruction,  such  as  can  be  conducted  by  a  teacher  of  commanding 
personality,  and  who  has  the  equivalent  of  a  high-school  course  and 
special  training  in  country  school  needs  and  management. 


The  Rural  Education  Department  31 

The  State  Department  has  gone  a  step  farther.  Thru  the  co-oper- 
ation of  progressiv  school  offisers  who  wer  satisfied  with  nothing  short 
of  the  best  that  a  one-room  school  can  offer,  over  £0  districts  hav  gaind 
the  unusual  distinction  of  being  classed  as  "Superior  Schools."  These 
schools  hav  yet  more  equipment  and  a  vbetter  school  ;plant  than  the 
"Standard  Schools."  As  might  be  expected  they  require  "superior" 
teachers  who  hav  a  normal-school  diploma  or  its  equivalent  and  who  ar 
wide  awake  to  the  latest  and  best  in  one-room  school  methods  and  man- 
agement and  the  needs  of  the  open  country  neighborhood  such  as  can 
be  secured  in  special  rural  education  courses. 

For  teachers  who  hav  the  requisit  leadership  and  special  training, 
boards  of  directors  ar  able  and  willing  to  pay  more,  comparativly,  than 
the  salary  receivd  by  teachers  in  the  average  one-room  country  school, 
and  in  most  instances  a  salary  in  advance  of  that  paid  in  neighboring 
city  systems. 


There  is  also  the  "one-teacher"  school  which  wil  persist.  This  is 
a  comparativly  new  type.  While  it  is  stil  a  "neighborhood"  school,  it 
is  a  step  in  advance  of  the  "one-room"  school.  Texas  leads  in  this  type 
with  150  schools,  while  the  State  of  Washington  is  a  close  second.  These 
one-teacher  schools  hav  a  more  extensiv  school  plant,  consisting  of  the 
schoolhouse  bilt  to  accommodate  a  neighborhood  library,  provisions  for 
manual  training  and  domestic  science,  a  neighborhood  assembly 
room,  a  plot  for  a  school  garden  and  for  agricultural  demonstration,  a 
cottage  for  the  teacher  and  his  family,  with  garden,  fruit  trees,  space 
for  poultry,  and  sometimes  enuf  for  a  cow,  a  horse,  and  other  live- 
stock. The  teacher  often  remains  for  years,  growing  in  value  to  the 
neighborhood  because  he  is  able  to  carry  out  a  continued  educational 
policy  as  he  knows  better  the  needs  of  the  neighborhood. 

THE  RURAL- VILLAGE  OR   COUNTRY-TOWN   SCHOOL 

The  separate  school  for  the  rural  village  wil  remain  for  a  time 
until  the  village  and  surrounding  open  country  learn  the  value  of  col- 
lectiv  effort  in  combining  their  forces  for  education.  But  rural  village 
boys  and  girls,  like  those  of  the  open  country,  should  hav  a  rural  type 
of  school  distinct  from  the  city  type.  They  ar  familiar  with  rural 
activities,  and  usually  participate  in  them.  These  boys  and  girls  should 
hav  their  own  garden,  poultry,  and  other  projects,  and  the  same  oppor- 
tunity to  get  the  benefit  of  the  close-to-the-soil  experiences  of  the  open 
country.  They  ar  essentially  rural  in  their  outlook  and  should  hav 
teachers  with  special  training  for  rural  living.     It  is  unfortunate  that 


32  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

the  village  boy  and  girl  hav  too  often  had  their  school  life  modeld  after 
that  of  the  city. 

In  Illinois  there  ar  alredy  about  125  rural  districts  which  hav 
"standardized"  their  schools  with  a  view  to  meeting  the  needs  of  rural 
village  children.  These  schools  ar  seeking  teachers  with  special  training 
for  this  work  and  ar  willing  to  pay  accordingly.  In  fact  the  demand 
of  the  "standard"  and  "superior"  one-room,  and  the  "standard"  rural 
village  schools  of  Illinois  alone  is  greater  than  the  supply,  which  results 
in  attractiv  offers  for  those  teachers  who  hav  the  personal  qualities  and 
peculiar  training  requisit  to  fil  these  positions.  These  schools  would  giv 
positions  to  more  normal  school  graduates  next  year  than  ar  found  in 
the  entire  membership  of  the  graduating  classes  of  1920  in  all  five  of  the 
Illinois  Normal  Schools. 

THE  CONSOLIDATED  AND   CENTRALIZED  SCHOOLS 

It  is  graitfying  that  rural  communities  ar  seeing  the  value  of  com- 
bining their  forces  for  more  efficient  educational  facilities  by  centraliz- 
ing the  schools  of  the  entire  community.  Consolidated,  or — more  prop- 
erly cald — community  schools  ar  increasing  at  a  rapid  rate.  In  1916 
there  were  5,602  of  these  centralized  schools  in  the  United  States.  Of 
these,  2,668  or  about  47 V2  per  cent  wer  establisht  during  the  three  years 
previous.  It  is  estimated  that  there  ar  at  least  10,500  centralized 
schools  now  in  operation.  From  this  it  wil  be  seen  that  there  is  a  rapidly 
increasing  demand  for  a  new  type  of  teacher  and  a  new  type  of  adminis- 
tration for  these  schools. 

Many  of  these  schools  had  expected  to  carry  out  a  special  program 
to  meet  the  needs  of  their  community,  but  because  of  a  lack  of  teachers 
properly  trained  for  re-directed  rural  community  school  work  they  hav 
been  compeld  to  accept  "city  minded"  teachers  traind  for  city  schools. 
Insted  of  having  rural  schools  they  hav  a  poor  imitation  of  a  city  school. 
This  results  in  the  centralized  school  losing  the  primary  objectiv  for 
which  it  was  organized. 

RURAL   COMMUNITY   HIGH   SCHOOLS 

Again,  rural  communities  ar  realizing  that  they  can  furnish  better 
high  school  facilities  by  centralizing  for  high-school  purposes.  In  fact, 
in  Illinois,  community  effort  toward  centralization  was  first  attempted 
for  this  purpose,  and  it  was  later  realized  that  the  great  majority  of 
children  who  do  not  go  to  high  school,  had  been  .denied  the  advantages 
of  co-operativ  effort  for  better  education.  It  was  first  realized  that  rural 
boys  and  girls  hav  a  right  to  the  advantages  of  a  strong  four-year  high 
school  before  it  was  rememberd  that  also  the  boys  and  girls  in  the  lower 


Agricultural  Nature  Study  Class 


Children  in  School  Garden 


■r'-#.-*r-twmi 


The  Rural  Education  Department  33 

grades  of  rural  communities  hav  a  right  to  just  as  efficient  educational 
advantages  as  the  city  boys  and  girls. 

But  the  centralized  community  high  school  is  with  us  and  is  show- 
ing the  way  to  a  better  future  for  the  elementary  grade  pupils  as  wel  as 
those  of  high-school  grade.  Our  own  state  illustrates  the  rapid  growth 
of  the  community  idea  applied  to  the  solution  of  the  rural  school  prob- 
lem. In  1906,  there  wer  38  township  high  schools  in  Illinois.  In  1916, 
there  wer  242  township  and  community  high  schools.  Since  July  1, 
1919,  170  community  high  schools  hav  been  establisht.  Only  ^a  small 
percentage  of  these  ar  in  city  communities.  The  vast  majority  ar  rural. 
It  is  evident,  then,  that  they  should  hav  a  type  of  education  based  upon 
rural  experiences  and  for  rural  living.  Here  again  is  a  demand  for 
teachers  traind  especially  for  rural  life.  Here  again  schools  hav  been 
compeld  to  take  teachers  traind  for  city  high  schools  and  who  know  little 
of  re-directed  rural  school  ideals.  Here  again  we  hav  curriculums  with 
content  and  method  similar  to  those  of  the  city  high  school  and  to  that 
extent  the  rural  community  high  schools  ar  failing  to  train  boys  and 
girls  in  the  knowledge  of  rural  community  possibilities. 

Eural  communities  ar  becoming  conscious  of  the  fact  that  they 
need  a  type  of  training  with  a  content  in  many  respects  different  from 
that  of  the  city  high  « school.  They  ar  demanding  a  specially  traind 
teacher,  a  teacher  who  knows  the  problems  of  the  rural  community  and 
has  a  vision  of  the  future  rural  community.  They  ar  demanding  teach- 
ers of  agriculture  who  find  their  projects  in  the  poultry  yard,  in  the 
orchards,  and  garden  and  "truck  patch,"  and  on  the  farm — real  prob- 
lems growing  out  of  life  situations.  They  ar  demanding  that  our  teach- 
ers of  biology,  chemistry,  physics,  and  all  natural  science  select  their 
material  from  the  same  source.  They  ar  demanding  manual  training 
teachers  who  help  the  boys  bild  chicken  coops,  rabbit  hutches,  pig  pens, 
gates,  fences,  repair  harness,  make  concrete  posts,  blocks  and  walks, 
lay  out  tile  ditches,  etc.  Mechanical  drawing  should  hav  a.  different 
content,  and  they  ar  demanding  that  both  agriculture  and  manual 
training  teachers  be  practical  men  in  servis  the  whole  year.  They  ar 
demanding  a  modification  of  the  teaching  of  mathematics  and  science, 
and  that  their  students  be  traind  in  a  knowledg  of  economics  and  soci- 
ology as  it  applies  to  the  problems  of  the  rural  community.  Even 
English  and  f  oren  language  may  need  some  re-direction. 

PRINCIPALS   OF   COMMUNITY   HIGH   SCHOOLS 

These  rural  community  high  schools  ar  recruiting  ,their  teachers 
from  the  ranks  of  those  who  know  the  problem  of  the  rural  community 
as  they  hav  been  traind  to  know  them  in  the  classes  in  rural  sociology, 


34  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

rural  economics,  rural  nature  study,  rural  physics,  chemistry,  and 
biology,  rural  hygiene  and  sanitation,  rural  manual  training,  rural 
home  economics,  rural  ;school  organization  and  administration  offerd  in 
a  special  department  for  that  purpose.  The  principals  of  these  high 
schools  should  be  teachers  who  hav  had  this  special  training  and  hav 
shown  themselvs  to  hav  the  vision  of  the  re-directed  rural  school. 

TOWNSHIP   SUPERVISOR 

Another  opening  for  promotion  for  rural-traind  men  and  women  is 
the  position  of  township  supervisor  or  superintendent.  Many  localities 
ar  realizing  that  the  county  superintendent  cannot  giv  close  supervision 
of  the  schools  of  an  entire  county,  consequently  they  demand  a  super- 
visor to  serv  a  smaller  number  of  schools.  In  counties  under  township 
or  county-township  organization  this  smaller  unit  is  usually  a  township. 
The  work  of  these  township  supervisors  demands  that  they  hav  a  train- 
ing fitting  for  rural-education  supervision,  such  training  as  is  offerd  in 
normal-school  departments  of  rural  education. 

COUNTY   SUPERINTENDENTS 

In  practically  every  state  in  the  union  the  schools  of  a  county  ar 
under  the  direction  of  a  county  superintendent  of  schools.  Since  the 
cities  within  his  county  usually  hav  their  own  superintendents,  the  work 
of  the  county  superintendent  is  largely  with  the  schools  of  the  village 
and  open  country;  that  is,  he  servs  rural  communities.  In  order  to  do 
this  he  must  be  "rural  minded;"  he  must  know  the  life  and  educational 
needs  of  the  rural  district,  and  he  must  be  community, minded.  As  the 
idea  of  making  the  type  of  school  fit  the  needs  of  the  community  grows, 
people  ar  demanding  (more  and  more  that  their  county  superintendents 
be  men  adapted  to  their  type  of  community,  by  viewpoint  and  training. 
They  ar  not  content  to  take  anyone  because  he  is  simply  a  normal  or 
university  graduate.  They  ar  asking  if  he  took  special  courses  as  a 
student  to  fit  him  for  rural  community  work.  These  positions  offer  a 
splendid  opportunity  for  the  young  man  or  woman  who  has  prepared 
for  them. 

HIGH   SCHOOL   NORMAL   TRAINING  DEPARTMENTS 

Again,  a  number  of  states  ar  developing  normal-training  depart- 
ments in  their  high  schools  for  the  purpose  of  training  teachers.  Most 
of  the  graduates  of  these  schools  work  in  rural  communities;  hence  the 
demand  for  successful  and  specially  traind  rural  teachers  to  take  charge 
of  these  departments  in  high  schools,  and  another  chance  for  promotion 
for  the  teacher  who  has  prepared  himself  for  the  work. 


The  Rural  Education  Department  35 

TEACHERS  AND  DIRECTORS   OF  RURAL  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENTS   OF 
STATE   NORMAL   SCHOOLS 

State  normal  schools  ar  establishing  rural  education  departments. 
In  these  departments  ar  required  a  hed  and  often  several  assistants. 
These  positions  ar  fild,  not  from  the  ranks  of  the  "city  minded"  or  from 
the  ranks  of  teachers  traind  for  work  in  city  systems.  They  ar  fild  by 
"rural  minded"  and  rural  education  experts  who  must  know  the  prob- 
lems of  the  rural  community.  This  movement  opens  positions  for  those 
who  ar  qualified  to  teach  in  a  practical  and  concrete  way  rural  school 
subjects  and  rural  school  administration;  for  teachers  who  know  rural 
economics,  rural  community  civics,  rural  hygiene  and  sanitation,  and 
the  rural  viewpoint  in  common  and  high-school  subjects. 

RURAL  EDUCATION   EXPERTS   IN  STATE  UNIVERSITIES 

Then  again,  as  the  rural-community  high  schools  ar  demanding  that 
their  teachers  and  principals  hav  rural-community  training,  schools  of 
education  in  our. state  universities  ar  needing  professors  who  can  offer 
rural-community  courses,  and  these  instructors  to  qualify  must  be  pre- 
pared by  special  training  and  experience  for  this  work.  These  positions 
will  be  fild  by  rural  teachers  and  administrators  who  know  the  rural 
community  and  who  hav  a  vision  of  the  possibilities  of  the  rural  school 
and  who  ar  capable  of  giving  this  vision  to  the  young  men  and  women 
who  come  to  it  for  instruction  and  inspiration. 

STATE   AND    FEDERAL   SERVIS 

Last  of  all,  leaders  ar  being  sought  in  increasing  numbers  by  state 
departments  of  education  and  by  the  Federal  Government  for  its  en- 
larging educational  activities.  For  the  specially  traind  rural  teacher 
there  is  no  lack  of  opportunity  for  advancement.  Young  men  and 
women  who  expect  to  teach  need  no  longer  think  that  teaching  in  the 
rural  community  is  a  disagreeable  novitiate  to  be  endured  for  a  short 
time  before  entering  upon  a  real  teaching  career  in  some  city  school. 
The  way  is  open  to  remain  in  rural  education  work.  The  field  is  large. 
It  is  only  now  being  developt.  Those  who  properly  prepare  themselvs 
for  it  wil  find  plenty  of  problems  and  opportunities  for  advancement 
which  wil  call  out  their  abilities  to  the  limit.  It  is  a  matter  of  being 
prepared  when  the  opportunity  comes. 

OPENINGS  IN  OTHER  RURAL  WORK 

There  ar  other  openings  possible  for  those  who  take  work  in  this 
department.     The  teacher  who  has  had  training  in  a  rural  education 


36  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

department  and  who  finds  it  necessary  to  change  his  occupation  wil 
discover  that  he  is  wel  prepared  for  other  lines  of  work  closely  related 
to  teaching.  County  farm  advisors,  .directors  of  junior  farm  and  home 
bureaus,  leaders  of  junior  farm  extension  servis,  county  directors  of 
Y.  W.  C.  A.  and  Y.  M.  C.  A.  work,  and  county  librarians  ar  largely 
recruited  from  the  ranks  of  teachers  who  know  the  country  and  the 
rural  village.  The  editor  of  the  country  newspaper  has  a  wide  field  of 
usefulness  in  the  rural  community,  provided  he  has  had  training  in 
rural  community  problems.  These  and  other  vocations  of  an  educational 
nature  demand  a  knowledg  of  agriculture,  rural  economics,  rural  soci- 
ology, and  of  the  community  resources  of  the  rural  districts. 

OTHER  ACTIVITIES 

Then,  rural-traind  teachers  who  eventually  become  country  bankers, 
business  men,  or  farmers,  or  housewives  in  rural  communities,  find  they 
ar  better  prepared  for  their  work  vocationally  and  as  members  of  their 
community  by  having  the  training  the  rural  education  department 
givs,  and  by  their  experience  as  teachers.  Thus  it  wil  be  seen  that  even 
if  one  should  not  continue  in  teaching  for  a  lifetime,  the  training  given 
in  this  department  functions  to  make  a  more  efficient  citizen  of  a  rural 
community. 

It  is  evident  that  the  teacher  in  the  rural  community  has  an  oppor- 
tunity for  usefulness  seldom  equald,  and  at  the  same  time  an  opportunity 
for  personal  advancement  in  the  profession  of  teaching  surpast  in  no 
other  field.  It  is  evident  that  for  this  work  he  must  hav  a  training 
in  some  respects  distinct  from  that  of  the  teacher  who  would  enter  servis 
in  the  city  schools.  Since  the  rural  community  is  beginning  to  demand 
specially  prepared  teachers  for  this  work  and  ar  now  offering  wages 
equal  to  and  even  better  than  those  paid  by  cities  (comparativ  cost  of 
living  considerd),  it  has  a  right  to  demand  that  teachers  make  a  com- 
parable advance  in  preparation  for  this, work  and  that  this  preparation 
be  of  a  character  adapted  to  the  needs  of  rural  community  life. 

ADVANTAGES   OFFERED  BY  THE  ILLINOIS  STATE  NORMAL  UNIVERSITY 

To  meet  this  demand  which  is  now  felt  and  which  wil  rapidly  in- 
creas  in  the  next  few  years,  the  Illinois  State  Normal  University  offers 
curriculums  and  has  equipment  to  train  teachers  looking  forward  to 
educational  work  in  rural  communities. 

The  four-year  curriculum  is  designd  (1)  for  those  who  wish  to  pre- 
pare for  teaching  in  rural  community  high  schools  in  the  departments 
of  English,  Mathematics,  Natural  Science,  History  and  Social  Science, 
Foren  Language,  Agriculture,  Home  Economics,  or  Manual  Training; 


The  Rural  Education  Department  37 

(2)  for  those  who  would  become  principals  of  rural  village,  country 
town,  or  community  high  schools;  (3)  those  who  wish  to  become  town- 
ship supervisors,  county  superintendents,  or  to  engage  in  higher  educa- 
tional work  in  rural  education. 

One  two-year  curriculum  is  open  to  graduates  of  four-year  high 
schools  who  would  prepare  for  teaching  in  superior  or  standard  one- 
room  schools,  ,in  the  grades  of  village  or  country  town,  or  to  become 
village  or  community  school  principals,  township  supervisors,  county 
superintendents,  and  to  be  teachers  in  community  high  schools  which 
employ  two-year  graduates. 

A  two-year  curriculum  is  open  to  graduates  of  the  eighth  grade 
and  who  wish  to  secure  a  provisional  certificate  for  teaching  in  a  one- 
room  country  school. 

Other  curriculums  ar  offerd  to  graduates  of  two  or  three-year  high 
schools  and  to  those  who  hav  had  a  partial  high-school  course  whereby 
they  may  secure  the  regular  normal  school  diploma;  and  they  may  con- 
tinue and  complete  the  four-year  curriculum  and  receiv  a  degree.  With 
the  wide  variety  of  courses  offerd  in  the  summer  quarter  it  is  possible 
to  do  a  considerable  amount  of  work  during  the  summer  and  still  teach 
during  the  school  year.  Graduates  of  a  four-year  high  school  may 
attend  three  summers  quarters  and  one  year  and  secure  a  diploma,  and 
thus  lose  only  one  year  from  teaching. 

THE   FOUR- YEAR   CURRICULUM 

This  curriculum  leads  (1)  to  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Education; 
(2)  to  a  County  High  School  Certificate  good  for  three  years  and 
renewable  indefinitly.  The  certificate  may  be  obtaind  after  completing 
three  or  more  years  of  work,  provided  the  courses  be  chosen  in  accord- 
ance with  the  requirements  of  the  Examining  Board.  This  curriculum 
is  open  only  to  graduates  of  an  accredited  four-year  high-school.  The 
courses  offerd  are  groupt  as  follows : 
Group  I. — General   Professional  Courses 

Elementary  Psychology    12  weeks 

Educational  Psychology  and  Ethics  or  School  Administration 

or  History  of  Education 36  weeks 

Teaching  Process   12  weeks 

General  Method   12  weeks 

School  Management  12  weeks 

Teaching 36  weeks 

Principles  of  Education 12  weeks 

Group   II. — Rural    Education   Courses 

Social  Problems  of  the  Rural  Community 12  weeks 

Rural  Economics  and  Agricultural  Economic  History 12  weeks 

Rural  Education   12  weeks 

High  School  Problems  of  the  Rural  Community 12  weeks 

Rural   School  Administration  and   Management 12  weeks 

Rural   School   Curriculum 12  weeks 


38 


The  Normal  School  Quarterly 


Group  III. — Academic  Courses 

English — 

Grammar    12  weeks 

Science  of  Discourse ; 12  weeks 

Reading    12  weeks 

Public  Speaking 12  weeks 

Literature 24  weeks 

History  and  Social  Science — 

Modern   European   History 12  weeks 

United    States  History 24  weeks 

Economics    12  weeks 

Sociology    12  weeks 

American  Government    12  weeks 

Science  or  Mathematics 36  weeks 

Physiology    12  weeks 

Group  IV. — Electiv  Courses 

Enough  additional  academic  courses  to  make  a  major  (3  years'  work) 
in  at  least  one  of  the  following  departments:  Mathematics,  Natural  Science, 
History,  Foreign  Language,  Agriculture,  Home  Economics,  Manual  Training, 
English. 

Students  are  advised  to  take  two  majors  selected  by  pairs  as  is 
often  required  of  teachers  in  smaller  high  schools.  English  and  History, 
Science  and  Mathematics,  Science  and  Manual  Training,  Science  and 
Agriculture,  Agriculture  and  Manual  Training,  and  other  combinations 
ar  common.  The  advice  of  the  President  or  the  Dean  should  be  sought 
by  the  students  in  arranging  his  majors. 


Fall  Term 
Elementary  Psychology 
Science  or  Mathematics 
Modern  European  His- 
tory 
Grammar  31  (Women) 
Physiology  31    (Men) 


First  Year 

Winter  Term 
Teaching  Process 
Science  or  Mathematics 
United   States  History 
Grammar  31    (Men) 
Physiology  31  (Women) 


Second  Year 


Spring  Term 
General  Method 
Science  or  Mathematics 
United   States   History 
Literature 


Fall  Term 
School   Management 
Literature 
Civics  21 
Electiv 


Winter  Term 
Principles  of  Education 
Public  Speaking 
Economics  31 
Electiv 


Spring  Term 
Science  of  Discourse 
Reading 
Sociology  43 
Electiv 


Fall  Term 

Educational  Psychology 
or  School  Adminis- 
tration or  History  of 
Education 

Electiv 

Electiv 

Electiv 


Third  Year 

Winter  Term 

Educational  Psychology 
or  School  Adminis- 
tration or  History  of 
Education 

Rural     Economics     and 
History 

Electiv 

Electiv 


Spring  Term 

Ethics  or  School  Ad- 
ministration or  His- 
tory of  Education 

Rural  Sociology 

Electiv 

Electiv 


The  Rural  Education  Department  39 

Fourth  Year 

Fall  Term                           Winter  Term  Spring  Term 

Rural   Education                  Rural  Community  High  Rural    School    Manage- 

Teaching                                     School   Problems  ment  and  Curriculum 

Electiv                                    Teaching  Teaching 

Electiv                                    Electiv  Electiv 

Electiv  Electiv 

TWO-YEAR   CURRICULUM    (m) 

This  curriculum  covers  two  years'  work  and  is  open  only  to  gradu- 
ates of  accredited  four-year  liigh  schools.  Graduates  from  this  curri- 
culum ar  entitled  to  receiv  (1)  a  Normal- School  Diploma,  and  (2)  a 
First  Grade  Elementary  Certificate  good  for  three  years  and  renewable 
indefinitly.  This  certificate  is  good  for  teaching  in  a  four-year  high 
school  if  endorst  by  the  county  superintendent.  Students  who  hav 
completed  the  first  year  of  this  curriculum  may  receiv  the  second-grade 
certificate  at  the  option  of  the  county  superintendent.  Courses  are 
groupt  as  follows : 

Group   I. — General   Professional  Courses 

Teacher  and  the  School 12  weeks 

Elementary  Psychology    12  weeks 

General  Method  12  weeks 

Teaching    12  weeks 

Group   II. — Rural    Education  Courses 

Rural    School   Curriculum 12  weeks 

Rural   School   Management 12  weeks 

Rural  Economic  and  Social  Problems 12  weeks 

Group   III. — Academic  Courses 

Arithmetic     12  weeks 

Arithmetic    or   Economics 12  weeks 

Grammar     12  weeks 

Geografy    12  weeks 

United    States    History 12  weeks 

Hygien    and    Sanitation 12  weeks 

Everyday  Physical  Science 12  weeks 

Agricultural  Nature  Study 24  weeks 

Domestic  Science  or  Agriculture 12  weeks 

Domestic  Art  or  Manual  Training 12  weeks 

Group   IV. — Minor  Courses* 

Primary  Handwork    12  weeks 

Gymnastics    36  weeks 

Music 12  weeks 

Drawing     12  weeks 

Phonics    6  weeks 

Reading  Method    6  weeks 

Reading    6  weeks 

Children's   Literature    6  weeks 

*  A  minor  course  is  a  subject  pursued  for   6   weeks,   or  for  twelv  weeks  with 
no    outside    preparation. 


40 


The  Normal  School  Quarterly 


Fall  Term 
Teacher  and  School 
Arithmetic  31 
Nature  Study 
Primary  Handwork 
Gymnastics 


First  Year 

Winter  Term 
Psychology   33 
Grammar  31 
Domestic  Science  or 

Agriculture 
Drawing 
Gymnastics 


Spring  Term 
General  Method 
Nature  Study 
Domestic   Art   or    Man- 
ual Training 
Music 
Gymnastics 


Fall  Term 
Science  of  Discourse. 
Arithmetic  32  or  Econ- 
omics 
Geografy  32 
Teaching 


Second  Year 

Winter  Term 
Rural  Hygiene 
Physical   Science 
Phonics  and  Reading 
Rural    School    Manage- 
ment 


Spring  Term 
Rural    School    Curricu- 
lum  and  Observation 
United   States  History 
Rural  Social  Problems 
Reading  and  Literature 


PEO VISIONAL-CERTIFICATE    CURRICULUM    (n) 

Because  some  districts  are  not  financially  able  or  do  not  hav  the 
inclination  to  pay  salaries  sufficient  to  justify  teachers  of  these  schools 
in  spending  four  years  in  high-school  before  taking  a  normal-school 
course,  another  two-year  curriculum  is  provided.  Its  completion  counts 
two  years  towards  the  regular  normal-school  diploma.  Students  wh 
complete  this  curriculum  ar  recommended  for  provisional  teachers'  cer- 
tificates under  the  certificating  law. 


Fall  Term 
Nature  Study  11 
Mensuration   22 
Composition  11 
Orthografy  and  Phonics 
Physical  Training 


Fall  Term 
Geografy  12 
Civics  11 
United    States    History 

21 
Reading  11 


First  Year 

Winter  Term 
Percentage    and    Book- 
keeping 
Drawing  or  Music 
Physical  Training 
Domestic  Science  or 
Manual  Training 


Second  Year 

Winter  Term 
Country   School   Organ- 
ization 
Physiology 
United    States    History 

22 
Manual  Training  or 
Agriculture 

TRANSFER   OF   CREDITS 


Spring  Term 
Nature  Study  12 
Geografy  11 
Country   School   Teach- 
ing 
Primary   Handwork 
Music  or  Drawing 
Physical  Training 


Spring  Term 

Country     School     Prob- 
lems 

Grammar  21 

Arithmetic  21 

Reading  Method  and 
Children's    Literature 


Students  who  hav  done  one  or  more  terms'  work  in  Curriculum  M 
may  transfer  credits  to  the  four-year  curriculum  without  loss  of  time 
or  credit. 


The  Rural  Education  Department  41 

Students  who  hav  done  one  or  more  terms'  work  in  Curriculum  N 
may  continue  work  and  transfer  credits  without  loss  to  a  course  which 
leads  to  a  Normal-School  Diploma  and  a  First-Grade  County  Certificate. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    SPECIAL    COURSES     LEADING     TO     THE    NORMAL-SCHOOL 

DIPLOMA 

Course  21:  Kural  School  Curriculum. — This  course  deals  with 
methods  of  teaching  the  common  school  branches.  A  week,  more  or 
less,  is  devoted  to  methods  of  teaching  spelling,  language,  arithmetic, 
and  the  other  common-school  branches.  Emfasis  is  laid  upon  giving 
motiv  to  the  work,  methods  of  presentation  and  content  of  subject- 
matter.  A  part  of  the  time  is  devoted  to  observation  of  work  in  the 
Training  School.  Texts :  Charter's  Teaching  The  Common  Branches; 
The  State  Course  of  Study.     Spring  and  first  summer  terms. 

Course  22:  Rural  School  Management. — This  course  deals  with 
problems  of  the  school  grounds,  ventilation,  heating,  lighting,  care  of 
equipment,  the  business  side  of  school  management,  the  making  of 
recitation  and  study  programs,  preparations  for  the  first  day,  organiza- 
tion of  school  clubs,  supervision  of  play  and  playgrounds,  and  mechan- 
ized routine.  Text:  Cutler  &  Stone's  The  Rural  School:  Its  Methods 
and  Management.     Winter  and  first  summer  terms. 

Course  23 :  The  Rural  School  And  The  Community. — This  course 
deals  with  the  school  district,  and  the  community  of  which  the  district 
is  a  part.  Problems  of  helth,  sanitation,  recreation,  sociability,  the 
church,  shifting  of  population,  roads,  why  young  people  leave  the  small 
community,  organizations  for  promoting  sociability,  Farm  Bureaus, 
Home  Bureaus,  Community  Councils,  Boy  Scouts,  Camp  Fire  Girls, 
effect  of  means  of  communication,  such  as  the  automobile  and  rural 
free  delivery,  the  village  and  its  relation  to  the  country  neighborhood, 
the  consolidated  school,  and  the  community  high  school,  ar  studied  with 
a  view  to  giving  the  student  a  broader  outlook  of  the  life  and  problems 
of  the  community  and  how  they  affect  the  school  and  the  life  of  the 
people.  Texts :  Cubberly's  Rural  Life  and  Education;  collateral  read- 
ing.    Spring  and  first  summer  terms. 

Course  31  A:  The  Teacher  and  The  School. — This  course  deals  with 
factors  which  help  to  equip  the  teacher  for  his  work,  the  teacher  as  an 
organizer,  the  technique  of  the  recitation  and  the  teacher  as  a  trainer. 
Text:  Colgrove's  The  Teacher  and  The  School.  Fall  and  first  sum- 
mer terms. 


42  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

DESCRIPTION     OP    SPECIAL    ADVANST     COURSES     LEADING    TO    DEGREE    OF 
BACHELOR    OF    EDUCATION 

Those  who  look  forward  to  specializing  in  more  advanst  work  in 
the  field  of  rural  education  may  take  a  four-year  curriculum  leading 
to  a  degree  in  which  ar  included  more  advanst  courses  in  the  education 
and  social  problems  of  the  small  agricultural  community.  This  is 
especially  recommended  for  those  who  expect  to  teach  in  the  stronger 
four-year  community  high  schools  or  who  desire  to  take  up  supervisory 
work  in  the  rural  field. 

Course  32 :  Social  Problems  of  the  Small  Community. — This  course 
deals  with  the  village  and  country  town  in  relation  to  the  open  country, 
growth,  and  decline,  socialization  of  the  village,  helth  and  sanitation, 
village  political  life,  the  village  in  history,  village  morality,  the  relation 
of  the  open  country  to  the  village  or  country  town,  the  land  question, 
means  of  communication,  movements  of  population,  helth  in  the  open 
country,  farmers'  economic  and  social  organizations,  and  the  church. 
Emfasis  is  placed  upon  the  methods  by  which  the  entire  population  of 
the  rural  community  consisting  of  both  village  and  open  country,  thru 
co-operation  and  community  action,  may  secure  better  schools,  better 
churches,  better  helth,  and  make  life  in  the  small  community  yield 
those  satisfactions  which  normal  human  nature  seeks  when  at  its  best. 
Text:  Vogt's  Introduction  to  Rural  Sociology;  Collateral  reading. 
Spring  and  first  summer  terms. 

Course  33:  Rural  Economics  and  History  of  American  Agricul- 
ture.— General  principles  of  rural  economics,  agricultural  production, 
management,  distribution  of  income,  economic  organizations,  the  land 
problem,  historical  development  of  agriculture.  Texts :  Carver's  Rural 
Economics;  Schmidt's  Economic  History  of  Agriculture.     Winter  term. 

Course  38A :  Community  High  School  Problems. — Historical  study 
of  the  township  and  community  high-school  movement;  legal  status; 
influence  in  community  life,  physical  welfare,  economic  welfare,  voca- 
tional welfare,  leisure  welfare,  political  welfare;  factors  which  should 
determin  the  courses  offerd  in  its  curriculums;  how  re-direct  the  con- 
tent of  the  social  studies,  natural  science,  and  the  other  subjects  to  fit 
the  needs  of  the  community;  how  to  utilize  the  activities  of  the  home 
and  the  community  as  a  laboratory  and  basis  for  the  work  of  the 
school;  "home  projects;"  administration  and  management;  the  school 
plant;  the  teacher;  the  principal;  the  social  needs  of  the  young  people. 
Text:  A  syllabus  is  followd  with  topical  readings,  assignd  reports, 
and  classroom  discussion.     Winter  term. 


The  Rural  Education  Department  43 

Course  46A :  Rural  Education. — A  study  of  the  types,  history,  arid 
organization  of  rural  schools  of  the  United  States:  the  one-room  school, 
the  one-teacher  school,  the  centralized  school,  and  the  community  and 
township  high  school;  units  of  organization  for  school  purposes  as  the 
district,  community,  township,  and  county;  state  and  federal  aid; 
relation  of  state  and  federal  departments  of  education  to  the  local 
schools,  departments  for  training  rural  teachers  in  normal  schools  and 
state  universities;  workers  and  organizations  co-operating  with  rural 
schools  such  as  Junior  Farm  Bureaus,  county  librarians,  county  Young 
Men's  and  Young  Women's  Christian  Association  Secretaries,  county 
agricultural  agents  and  home  advisers.  Texts:  Cubberly's  Education 
in  the  United  States;  Foght's  The  Rural  Teacher  and  His  Work.  Fall 
term. 

KHBTORICALS 

Every  student  in  the  institution  is  assignd  to  a  rhetorical  section 
which  meets  every  Tuesday  under  the  direction  of  a  member  of  the 
faculty.  One  section  is  open  to  those  who  ar  interested  in  the  problems 
of  the  rural  community.  Students  prepare  talks  and  make  reports  upon 
topics  in  some  field  of  rural  life. 

The  general  topic  for  the  fall  quarter  of  1919  was,  "The  Rural 
Community."  First  a  study  was  made  of  the  relationship  between  the 
open  country  and  the  resulting  rural  village  or  country  town  in  order  to 
get  a  proper  concept  of  a  rural  community.  This  was  followd  by  a 
study  by  the  student  of  his  own  home  community,  the  results  of  which 
he  reported  to  the  Section,  using  charts  where  necessary  to  make  his 
meaning  clear.    In  this  study  the  following  outline  was  used : 

My  Community 

1.  Character  of  population? 

a.  If  nativ  Americans,  what  stock? 

b.  If  foren  born,  what  nationality? 

c.  What  races  other  than  white  ? 

d.  What  percentage  ar  from  old  families  of  the  neighborhoods? 

e.  What  percentages  from  families  moving  in  within  the  last  ten 

years  ? 

f.  What  percentage  own  farms  they  liv  on  or  homes  in  the  vil- 

lage? 

g.  What  percentage  ar  tenants? 

2.  Is  the  population  increasing  or  decreasing?    Why? 


44  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

3.  Boads 

a.  Extent  of  paved  roads? 

b.  Character  of  dirt  roads,  clay,  sandy,  black  dirt? 

c.  Ar  roads  graded  and  regularly  dragged? 

d.  To  what  extent  hav  they  been  oiled?     Kesult? 

e.  During  how  great  a  part  of  the  year  ar  they  passable  for  auto- 

mobile ? 

4.  Is  the  community  servd  by  rural  mail  routes? 

5.  What  percentage  of  the  homes  hav  telefones?     Is  it  a  mutual  or  a 

commercial  line? 

6.  How  wide  is  the  range  of  travel? 

a.  By  automobile? 

b.  By  trolley  ? 

c.  By  steam  cars? 

7.  Is  there  an  agricultural  adviser  for  this  community?     If  so,  how 

is  he  regarded  by  the  people? 

8.  What  percentage  of  families  hav  automobiles? 

9.  What  co-opera tiv  commercial  organizations,  such  as  farmers'  ele- 

vator, creamery,  etc.? 

10.  Number  of  churches? 

a.  Denominations  ? 

b.  Where  ar  churches  located,  village  or  country? 

c.  What  young  people's  societies? 

11.  Ar  any  of  the  following  organizations  found? 

a.  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 

b.  Young  Women's  Christian  Association. 

c.  Boy  Scouts. 

d.  Camp  Fire  Girls. 

e.  Junior  Farm  Bureau. 

12.  What  clubs  or  fraternal  organizations   ar  activ?     What  interest 

do  they  take  in  community  affairs? 

13.  Does  the  community  hav  a  farmers'  institute?     Community  Club? 

Community  Council?     What  interest  is  shown? 

14.  Is  there  a  grange?     If  so,  how  activ?     Farm  Bureau?     Home 

Bureau  ? 
.15.  Does  the  community  support  a  lecture  and  entertainment  course? 
Nature  of  the  course?  Does  it  hav  a  chautauqua  of  its  own? 
How  many  days  in  length?  Is  there  a  chautauqua  in  any 
neighboring  community  patronized  to  any  considerable  extent 
by  members  of  this  community? 


The  Rural  Education  Department  45 

16.  What  forms  of  commercialized  social  gatherings  ar  found,  such 

as  motion  pictures,  skating  rinks,  pool  rooms,  dance  halls,  etc.? 

17.  What  ar  the  recreations  and  amusements  for  the  older  people? 

18.  What  recreations  and  amusements  for  the  younger  people? 

19.  What  provisions  ar  made  for  books,  magazines,  and  reading  matter 

outside  the  homes? 

20.  To  what  extent  is  reading  matter  provided  in  the  homes?     What 

books  and  papers  ar  common  in  the  homes? 

21.  Community  spirit 

a.  To  what  extent  democratic?     What  cliques  or  exclusiv  groups? 

b.  To  what  extent  ar  there  family,  business,  racial,  religious,  or 

other  animosities  which  prevent  co-operation? 

c.  What  has  the  community  in  the  way  of  leaders?     Character 

of  these  leaders;  that  is,  ar  they  constructiv  and  progressiv? 

d.  Extent  to  which  the  churches  co-operate  with  each  other? 

e.  Attitude  of  churches  toward  community  undertakings 

f .  What  is  the  feeling  between  the  country  and  village  population  ? 

g.  Is  there  a  meeting  place  belonging  to  the  whole  community? 

If  so,  what  is  it  and  where? 

h.  Ar  there  any  community  gatherings  which  include  all  mem- 
bers of  the  community,  young  and  old,  rich  and  poor? 

i.      To  what  extent  ar  the  school  bil dings  used  for  public  meetings  ? 

j.  What  is  the  attitude  of  the  church  members  and  the  ministers 
toward  the  use  of  the  churches  for  social  purposes? 

k.     How  is  a  teacher  regarded  by  the  community? 

1.  To  what  extent  hav  the  teachers  participated  in  community 
gatherings  and  undertakings? 

22.  Attitude  toward  educational  advantages  for  the  young  people  as 

shown  by — 

a.  Character  of  school  bildings  and  premises,  equipment,  etc. 

b.  Encouragement  children  get  to  attend  school  regularly  and 

promptly. 

c.  Encouragement  given  children  to  finish  the  schools  of  the  com- 

munity. 

d.  Number  who  go  on  to  normal  schools,  colleges,  and  univer- 

sities. 

e.  Presence  of  parent-teachers'  associations  and  character  of  ac- 

tivity shown  thru  these  organizations. 

f.  Training  required  of  teachers. 

g.  Teachers  salaries. 

h.     Whether  "rural  minded"  teachers  ar  employd  or  "city  minded." 


46  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

23.  Character  of  school  instruction 

a.  Is  the  content  of  the  subjects  taught  based  upon  the  experi- 

ences of  children  of  a  rural  community  or  is  it  copied  from 
city  plans  ? 

b.  Is  it  opening  the  eyes  of  the  boys  and  girls  to  the  world  about 

them? 

c.  Ar  arithemetic  and  all  school  subjects  taught  in  such  a  way 

that  the  boys  and  girls  can  apply  the  knowledg  they  get  to 
everyday  life  situations? 

d.  Ar  Corn  Clubs,  Pig  Clubs,  Poultry  Clubs,  Garden  Clubs,  Can- 

ning Clubs,  etc.,  related  to  school  work? 

24.  High  School  advantages 

a.  Kind  of  high  school,  village,  township,  or  community? 

b.  Do  the  subjects  offerd  pertain  to  life  in  a  rural  community 

or  is  the  curriculum  patternd  after  that  of  some  city? 

c.  Is  any  attempt  made  to  familiarize  the  pupils  with  community 

problems  ? 

d.  What  is  the  length  of  the  curriculum? 

25.  Number  of  men  in  the  community  who  contend  that  because  they 

ar  "taxpayers"  their  rights  ar  to  be  considerd  before  those  of 
the  children. 

26.  Proportion  of  the  young  men  and  women  who  leave  the  community 

when  they  take  up  their  life  work. 

27.  What  is  the  feeling  of  the  community  with  reference  to  itself? 

a.  Self-respect:  does  it  believ  it  can  do  things?  or  does  it  believ 

it  is  a  weak  community  and  can't  help  it? 

b.  Is  it  self-satisfied? 

c.  Is  it  conceited,  believing  that  it  is  a  progressiv  community 

when  in  reality  it  is  far  behind? 

d.  Has  it  accomplisht  some  one  community  project  which  pos- 

sibly attracted  favorable  attention  but  has  advanst  no  farther 
— living  upon  its  past  record? 

e.  Is  it  reasonably  proud  of  its  past  record  but  primarily  inter- 

ested in  developing  a  bigger  and  better  future? 

f.  Has  any  movement  been  made  to  plan  ahed  for  the  community 

as  a  community? 

During  the  winter  quarter  the  topic  for  discussion  was  "How  to 

Organize  and  Conduct  Clubs."    The  work  included  a  study  of  Literary 

Societies,  Poultry  Clubs,  Corn  Clubs,  Boy  Scouts,  Camp  Fire  Girls, 

Country  Life  Clubs,  and  Community  Clubs.     A  part  of  each  meeting 


The  Rural  Education  Department  47 

was  devoted  to  a  study  of  Bobert's  Bules  of  Order  and  to  parliamentary 
practis. 

The  Khetorical  work  thus  offers,  incidentally,  an  opportunity  for 
special  investigation,  and  givs  training  and  practis  in  organizing  and 
conducting  public  meetings. 

THE   COUNTRY   LIFE   CLUB 

With  the  revival  of  interest  in  the  welfare  of  small  communities, 
open  country,  and  country  town,  and  with  the  growing  belief  that  the 
small  community  may  so  organize  its  resources  as  to  yield  some  of  the 
richest  satisfactions  of  human  life,  the  National  Country  Life  Associa- 
tion came  into  existence.  This  is  a  national  movement  intended  to 
organize  and  intensify  the  efforts  looking  toward  enriching  the  every- 
day life  of  the  fifty-five  million  people  who  do  not  liv  in  cities.  Thru- 
out  the  states  country  life  and  community  clubs  ar  looking  toward  the 
same  end  and  a  movement  is  now  in  progress  to  federate  these  different 
community  organizations  of  the  states. 

The  Normal  University  has  sought  to  familiarize  the  students,  who 
are  looking  forward  to  rural  work,  with  the  great  state  and  national 
movements  by  organizing  a  club  cald  the  Country  Life  Club.  This  Club 
meets  monthly  for  the  purpose  of  discussing  problems  of  rural  life  in  a 
manner  somewhat  different  from  that  possible  in  the  classroom.  It 
offers  an  opportunity  for  a  student  club  composed  of  those  from  country 
towns,  rural  villages,  and  open  country,  who  believ  in  the  small  com- 
munity and  wish  to  understand  how  it  may  be  organized  best  for 
community  welfare. 

This  club  has  the  concept  that  country  life  means  life  in  the  agri- 
cultural sections  of  the  state.  The  cities  with  over  2,500  population, 
the  mining  town,  the  factory  town,  the  city  suburb,  and  the  educational 
center  hav  problems  somewhat  different  from  the  country  town  and  its 
surrounding  open  country.  It  is  evident  then  that  "country  life"  as 
understood  by  this  club  includes  more  than  life  in  what  we  usually 
term  the  open  country.  It  considers  problems  of  rural  community  life, 
problems  of  a  social  unit  and  projects  which  may  be  carried  on  by  a 
community. 

This  club  considers  questions  such  as  community  councils,  com- 
munity schools,  community  recreation,  community  sociability,  com- 
munityhelth;  agencies  for  promoting  community  action,  such  as  the 
automobile,  the  telephone,  hard  roads,  and  kindred  topics. 

The  purpose  of.  the  club  is  both  educativ  and  recreational.  Pro- 
grams ar  given  by  the  students  and  occasional  talks  ar  made  by  factuly 


48  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

members  or  visitors  who  ar  experts  along  some  line  of  rural  community 
welfare. 

The  constitution  is  printed  herewith  to  giv  an  idea  of  its  organi- 
zation and  with  the  thought  that  it  may  be  suggestiv  to  those  contem- 
plating the  organization  of  a  club  similar  in  purpose. 

Constitution 

PREAMBLE 

We,  students  of  the  Illinois  State  Normal  University,  believing 
that  the  rural  community  deservs  the  best  in  the  way  of  economic,  re- 
creational, educational,  cultural,  and  religious  life,  and  believing  that 
it  offers  these  satisfactions  to  the  extent  that  its  resources  ar  organized 
and  utilized;  and  further  believing  that  a  better  understanding  of  its 
needs  and  resources  may  be  secured  thru  a  study  and  discussion  of  these 
problems  and  of  the  means  of  bringing  about  their  solution,  do  there- 
fore constitute  ourselvs  a  Country  Life  Club. 

ARTICLE  I 

Name. — The  name  of  this  club  shal  be  the  Country  Life  Club  of 
the  Illinois  State  Normal  University. 

ARTICLE  II 

Object. — The  object  of  this  club  shal  be  the  discussion  of  methods 
of  advancing  the  economic,  recreational,  sociability,  physical  helth,  edu- 
cational, cultural  and  religious  interests  of  the  rural  community. 

ARTICLE  III 

Membership. — Any  student  or  member  of  the  faculty  of  the  Illinois 
State  Normal  University  may  become  a  member  of  this  club  by  paying 
the  term  dues  of  ten  cents  and  signing  the  constitution.  Non-resident 
students  may  continue  their  membership  with  all  its  rights  and  privil- 
eges by  continuing  payment  of  dues. 

ARTICLE  IV 

Offisers  and  Elections. — There  shal  be  the  following  officers :  Presi- 
dent, Vice-president,  Secretary,  and  Treasurer. 

ARTICLE  V 

Duties  of  Offisers.— The  duties  of  the  different  officers  shal  be  such 
as  usually  devolv  upon  the  incumbents  of  the  respectiv  offises. 


The  Rural  Education  Department  49 

ARTICLE  VI 

Duties  of  the  Committees. — The  Program  Committee  shal  arrange 
all  programs  of  the  club  and  see  that  they  ar  announst  and  bulletind  in 
good  and  sufficient  time  for  publicity. 

Special  committees  wil  carry  out  the  instructions  of  the  club  in  the 
performance  of  special  duties  assignd  to  them. 

ARTICLE  VII 

Meetings. — The  meetings  of  the  club  shal  be  on  the  third,  seventh, 
and  eleventh  Tuesday  evenings  of  each  term  between  the  hours  of  6:30 
and  7  :30  o'clock. 

ARTICLE  VIII 

Dues. — The  dues  of  the  club  shal  be  ten  cents  per  term. 

ARTICLE  IX 

Quorum. — Eight  members  in  good  standing  shal  be  a  quorum  for 
the  transaction  of  all  business. 

ARTICLE  X 

Amendments. — This  constitution  may  be  amended  by  a  two-thirds 
vote  of  the  members  at  any  regular  meeting. 

ARTICLE  XI 

Order  of  Business. — The  order  of  business  in  all  regular  meetings 
shal  be  as  follows : 

1.  Call  to  order 

2.  Beading  of  minutes  of  previous  meeting 

3.  Eeport  of  Program  Committee 

4.  Eeport  of  special  committees 

5.  Unfinisht  business 

6.  New  business 

7.  Program 

8.  Discussion 

9.  Adjournment 

SOME  TYPICAL  PROGRAMS 

Program 

MY   COMMUNITY 

Talk. — What  Constitutes  a  Rural  Community? 
Talk. — Community  Distribution  of  the  Population  of  Illinois. 
Talks. — "My  Community,"  by  four  students.      (Talks  illustrated 
by  charts.) 


50  The  Normal  School  Quarterly 

Program 

EDUCATION 

Talk. — The  Superior  One-room  School  of  Illinois. 
Talk. — Disadvantages  of  the  One-room  School. 
Talk. — Advantages  of  Community  Effort  in  Education. 
Talk. — Some  Obstacles  in  the  Way  of  Community  Schools. 
Talk. — Some  Successful  Community  Schools. 

Program 

COMMUNICATION 

Talk. — Disintegrating  Effects  of  the  Automobile. 
Talk. — Socializing  Effects  of  the  Automobile. 
Talk. — The  Inter-urban  and  the  Rural  Community. 
Talk. — Problems  of  the  Country  Town  near  a  City. 

PRACTIS   TEACHING 

1.  Preparation  for  village,  country  town,  or  community  high 
school. 

A  mere  theoretical  knowledg  of  school  organization,  management, 
and  the  art  of  instruction,  is  not  sufficient  training  for  the  actual  work 
of  teaching.  No  matter  how  wel  one  may  be  grounded  in  the  theoretical 
aspects  of  any  business,  the  art  and  technique  of  that  business  can  be 
acquired  only  thru  actual  participation.  The  Thomas  Metcalf  Training 
School  and  the  University  High  School  offer  opportunity  to  the  student 
to  acquire  the  technique  of  teaching  and  class-room  management  thru 
actual  experience  under  the  direction  of  a  training  teacher.  Thru  this 
experience  the  district  which  employs  the  young  teacher  for  his  first 
term  is  saved  the  loss  which  would  otherwise  result  if  he  had  all  of 'his 
art  to  lern  after  he  begins  teaching.  Accordingly  two  or  three  terms 
of  practis  teaching  ar  required  of  all  graduates;  or  rather,  the  student 
is  required  to  teach  until  he  has  acquired  a  degree  of  proficiency  in  the 
art  of  instruction,  even  though  it  may  require  more  than  three  terms. 

2.  Participation  in  country  schools. 

For  students  who  expect  to  teach  in  one-room  schools,  a  special 
arrangement  is  made  to  fit  them  for  their  work.  For  a  student  to  be 
equipt  to  teach  in  the  country  it  is  quite  essential  that  she  hav  some 
actual  experience  in  country  schools.  To  secure  this,  students  who  ar 
completing  their  studies  in  the  two-year  curriculums  ar  sent  out  the 
last  three  weeks  of  the  winter  term  to  separate  country  schools  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  work. 


'      ,  -'  'V1'-.'-- 

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The  Rural  Education  Department  51 

Thru  the  county  superintendents  good  schools  ar  chosen.  Here  the 
student  is  in  close  touch  with  the  life  of  the  school  and  the  community. 
When  practicable  she  livs  at  the  same  boarding  house  with  the  regular 
teacher.  She  observs,  assists  in  the  management  and  care  of  the  school, 
helps  with  the  seat  work,  and  does  part  of  the  teaching.  She  is  expected 
to  hand  in  on  her  return  to  the  Normal  School  a  written  report  of  her 
work  and  experience  with  a  simple  survey  of  the  school  including  the 
condition  of  the  bildings  and  yard,  provision  for  the  helth  and  comfort 
of  the  children,  as  found  in  the  heating,  ventilating,  lighting,  and  water 
supply;  equipment  to  aid  in  giving  instruction;  the  method  of  the  reci- 
tation, assignments,  drils,  reviews,  and  so  forth. 

This  plan  of  practis  teaching  has  been  in  operation  for  three  years. 
The  students  who  hav  gone  out  come  back  with  a  greater  appreciation 
of  what  teaching  in  the  country  means,  and  later  go  to  their  own 
schools  with  more  poise  and  confidence  because  of  this  experience. 

For  further  information  with  reference  to  the  Eural  Education 
Department  address, 

David  Felmley,  President  Illinois  State  Normal  University;  or 

H.  A.  Bone,  Rural  Education  Department, 

'Normal,  Illinois. 


3  0112  105727330 


